


Guardian

by roeskva



Category: Stargate SG-1, Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Crossover, F/M, Humor, Tok'ra
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-26
Updated: 2013-08-27
Packaged: 2017-12-24 17:40:02
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 29
Words: 54,653
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/942765
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/roeskva/pseuds/roeskva
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>SG-1, Martouf/Lantash, and Jacob/Selmak had managed to escape from their Goa'uld holding cell, but Daniel was still delirious after the drugs he had been given to make him talk. While in this state, he finds a being - half-machine, half-living organism, billions of years old. It ends up sending him and his friends through time and space, to a future changed by their absence.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Escape

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Twisted_Slinky](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Twisted_Slinky/gifts).



> Artwork: [The Guardian by Twisted_Slinky](http://archiveofourown.org/works/940274).
> 
> Crossover with: Star Trek: TOS (The Guardian of Forever) and Teen Wolf. 
> 
> Season: Starts very early fourth season of Stargate SG-1. Before “Divide and Conquer”. 
> 
> Spoilers: Star Trek: TOS, “The Guardian of Forever”. Teen Wolf, up to and including the beginning of season 3 (though some events from that universe are AU here - Kate Argent is alive, among other things). Stargate SG-1, potentially all episodes, but mainly those concerning the Tok’ra and the Goa’uld Ba’al and Nirrti.
> 
> Thanks to twisted_slinky for awesome graphics, and to skarpedin for beta/lots of useful discussions about my fic :)

"Can't this thing go any faster?" O'Neill complained. "The Goa'uld are still on our ass!"

"Unfortunately not - the engines are only working at 25%. At best," Jacob told him. "Sam? How are the crystals looking?"

She stuck her head through the doorway behind them, looking grim. "Sorry, Dad. No spare ones for the hyperdrive, and the ones that are in there are almost burnt out."

"I may have an idea for how we can re-route the power using the good crystals we have, if we use a few of the spare crystals for the communication and the shields," Martouf said, looking thoughtful. "However, it may be dangerous, and the crystals are unlikely to hold out for long, though they may hold long enough for us to escape."

"But leaving us stranded afterwards?" Sam asked.

"Possibly, yes," Martouf admitted.

The teltac shook as a glancing shot from the alkesh behind them hit, and the communication device beeped as the Goa'uld hailed them.

"If we don't get out of here _right now_ , it's not gonna matter anyway!" O'Neill exclaimed.

"Do it!" Jacob ordered.

Martouf nodded, and turned to go to the aft compartment.

"I'll help," Sam said, following him.

* * *

"Okay, try it now!" Sam shouted to Jacob.

He activated the hyperdrive, and at first nothing happened. Then, suddenly, the ship _shuddered_ and they were in hyperspace. "It works!"

Relief flowed through all of them, as they escaped through hyperspace. For a while, all seemed to be going well, then there was an explosion from the crystal compartment, and their speed increased dramatically. They were _hurled_ through space, at a completely uncontrolled speed and direction, and nothing Jacob did would make the teltac stop.

Eventually, there was another explosion from the crystals, a much bigger one, and the ship dropped out of hyperspace.

"Where are we?" Sam asked.

"Just a moment..." Jacob said, checking the instruments. He frowned as he studied the scans of the silver-glittering planet below. "We're in orbit around an unknown planet - and we're very far from any _known_ planets, in a part of our Galaxy Selmak knows no Stargate addresses for. If there even _are_ Stargates here."

"Can you get the ship back into hyperspace?" O'Neill asked.

"I doubt it," Martouf said, looking into the small compartment with crystals - or rather what was _left_ of the crystals.

"Communications, then?" O'Neill looked hopeful.

"We used those crystals when we rewired the hyperdrive," Sam told him, apologetically.

"Why did you _have_ to use those? Couldn't you have used some others, dammit?"

"No, we needed crystals that were programmed for hyperspace, and the communications crystals are the only ones - save for the hyperdrive crystals - which function in that manner," Martouf explained. "We had no choice."

"Figures!" O'Neill grumbled. "Just our luck! What other options do we have? Could we travel without hyper-drive?"

"Without hyper-drive it'll take us years to reach the nearest other star system. We've got supplies for weeks, at _most_ ," Jacob said. "Also, life support is damaged. The air will only recycle at 25%, and..."

"Stop! I _get_ it!" O'Neill exclaimed. "We're screwed!"

"We can attempt to land on the planet, and hope it is - or was - technologically advanced. Maybe we can find what we need to repair our ship," Sam suggested.

"Unlikely. I've got nothing on short-range scanners that would indicate there's a living civilization down there..." Jacob ran the scanners again. "There _does_ however seem to be the ruins of a very old civilization down there."

"Well, then there could be something useful down there, right?"

"I suppose..."

"Rings? Or are we landing?" Sam asked.

Jacob gave Selmak control, and she checked the scanners an extra time before answering.

"Since there are no ring transport platform down there, and we do not have a mobile one aboard right now, we would be unable to return to the ship, should we wish to do so. We will land... _hopefully_." She smiled wryly as she steered the teltac into the planet's atmosphere.

As if on cue, there was an explosion from somewhere on the ship, and Sam and Martouf/Lantash ran to check it out. Just as they did so, the shield around the ship flickered once, and winked out.

"What was that?" O'Neill demanded.

"The last shield crystal burned out!" Sam yelled.

"It will get hot in here - and the ride will be bumpy. Grab on to something!" Selmak warned.

From back in the ship a scream could be heard. It sounded terrified, almost inhuman.

"Crap, Daniel's awake again," O'Neill exclaimed.

The mission had been simple enough. Go to the planet Tohen, meet with the man who claimed to have information about a Goa'uld attack, and then return. Simple.

However, they had barely arrived on the planet, before they were all captured by the Goa'uld Heka. He had tortured them for information, as many Goa'uld did, however, when he had not immediately gotten anything useful from them, he had decided on another strategy. He was infamous for his drugs and potions, and was known for combining a hallucinogen much like 'the Blood of Sokar' with the use of a ribbon device, when he interrogated his prisoners.

Heka had them all brought to his throne room, and then spent a while threatening them and taunting them, before picking Daniel as the first target. While the others had watched, Daniel had been given a potion that almost immediately made him ramble incoherently. Heka had not gotten anything useful from him - apparently the drug worked differently in Daniel than usually. Sam later speculated it might be an interaction with Daniel's allergy medication, but they did not know for sure.

Before Heka could try the potion on someone else, one of his underlings had told him he needed to see him on urgent business. Angrily, Heka had ordered his prisoners thrown back into a holding cell.

Apparently the underling had reported on an attack, for they had not been back in the holding cell for long, when they heard an explosion. Soon the whole building shook, the power went out, and the cell door opened. They had fled immediately, of course, finding their way to a teltac, and away from the planet. They had not gotten far before a Goa'uld alkesh took chase, getting them into their current predicament.

Another cry was heard from Daniel, as their teltac raced down through the atmosphere with Selmak barely in control of it.

"I shall go and tend to him," Teal'c said.

"Don't teltacs have medkits or something?" O'Neill asked, not expecting a confirmation. Teltacs were, after all, usually flown by Goa'uld or Jaffa who generally did not need medkits.

"Yes," Selmak answered, unexpectedly. "But it will contain little that can help him." She hit several buttons and swore something in Goa'uld.

"Let's take a look at it, Teal'c," O'Neill said, letting go of the hold he had on one of the panels, and almost stumbled as he made his way across the floor of the shaking ship.

* * *

Sam groaned softly as she sat up and looked around. The teltac had made a very hard landing, but not quite a crash. From what she could see, it was unlikely they would get the ship flying again without extensive repairs, though.

"Samantha? Are you all right?"

She turned her head to see Martouf coming towards her, looking worried. "Yes, I think I'm okay. Mostly, at least." She rose, swaying a little, and grimaced as she put weight on her left leg.

Martouf quickly grabbed her, steadying her. "Careful." He held his hand in front of her forehead.

"Does that even work on humans? I mean, I know you guys use it to... uh, gauge the energy signature of the symbiote... or something..."

"It works somewhat for you, because of the naquadah in your blood." He sighed. "I wish I had a healing device... I believe you have a light concussion." He knelt beside her, carefully prodding her leg. "It's not broken, fortunately, but it is badly bruised."

"Yeah, it'll probably be sore for a few days." She gently touched the back of her head. "And I think you're right about the concussion. What about you?" She coughed, the acrid smoke from burning electronics irritating her throat. She sat down on one of the crates.

"I am unharmed, except for a few minor scratches." He touched a cut on his cheek. It had already stopped bleeding, and was healing quickly.

"Good. I hope the others are okay." She looked worriedly towards the front of the teltac, and calling out, "Dad? Selmak?" She looked back, towards the other room where Daniel had been resting - and where O'Neill and Teal'c had gone moments ago, to check on him. Rubble was now blocking that door completely. "Colonel? Teal'c?" she shouted.

"Here, Samantha!" Selmak called from the pilot compartment. She came to the door, leaning against the side.

"Oh, my god! Are you all right?" Sam exclaimed as she saw blood trickle out from the cuff of Selmak's BDU, then drip from her hand. "What about my dad?"

Martouf hurried to Selmak's side, supporting her so she could sit on a crate.

"Jacob is unconscious, but will awaken soon. We were hit by part of a panel during the landing."

"Your upper arm is broken," Martouf observed, concern colouring his voice.

Selmak nodded. "Yes, but the break is not complicated, nor is the wound open. I am bleeding due to a cut in my underarm. Aside from that, I have a cracked rib, and some cuts and bruises. Nothing else. I shall be fine."

"Okay." Sam nodded, not looking convinced. She coughed again and wiped her eyes. The smoke was getting worse, stinging in her eyes as well as making her throat tickle. "We need to get the entrance to the back compartment cleared and check on the others." She was worried what they would find, but hoped her friends and teammates had not suffered worse injuries than the rest of them.

"Yes." Martouf went over to examine the debris, and what he could see of the door behind. A metal beam and several crates blocked the way. He carefully reached for the panel to open the door, and pressed a button. Nothing happened. He tried several others, with the same result. "The door is stuck. We need to clear the area first." He cleared his throat. "I will start working on it immediately. Not only could the others be injured and in need of assistance, but we also need fresh air in here soon." He looked at Selmak. "I assume life support is completely down?"

She nodded. "Yes, as is almost everything else. We have got emergency lightning, but that is about it."

"Understood." Martouf hammered on the door and shouted. "O'Neill, Teal'c!"

They heard someone knocking on the other side of the door, answering something. It was muffled, but Martouf listened carefully.

"Well, are they all right?" Sam asked, nervously.

Martouf nodded. "Yes, Teal'c says that he, Colonel O'Neill, and Daniel are alive and well, except for minor injuries."

"That's great!" Sam breathed a sigh of relief.

Martouf grabbed one of the boxes and attempted to move it. It did not budge. "I wonder what is in these crates? They are unbelievably heavy." He opened one of them. "Gold? There is _gold_ in them?" He shook his head. "It is too bad there is nothing useful in them."

Sam got up, and limped over to him, supporting herself against the wall. "They're filled with solid gold?" she wondered, surprised.

"Yes," Martouf confirmed.

Sam wrinkled her brow. "They're... about four feet by two feet by two feet... if that is _all_ gold, the boxes will weigh... 19200 pounds! _Each_! That's _crazy_! How come they have even moved at all?"

"The gravity probably fluctuated during the... _landing_." Martouf looked at Selmak, knowing she had done her best under bad conditions to land the teltac.

"It is all right. You can call it a crash." Selmak smiled mildly.

"In any case. There is no way for us to move the crates without an anti-gravity device," Sam concluded.

"No," Martouf admitted. He looked speculative. "There may be weapons here somewhere. A zat'nik'tel would be useful..." He started searching the room. "Ah, here." He plucked a zat'nik'tel from a drawer.

"You're going to shoot it?" Sam asked, raising her eyebrows. "Vaporize it?"

"Yes," Martouf confirmed.

"But it's a _fortune_! Well, on Earth, anyway!"

"If you are in any sort of economic trouble, I can easily provide you with a similar amount of gold."

"Ah, no, I'm not sure I would be comfortable taking that much money from a guy." She grinned sheepishly. "Sorry, it's a Tau'ri thing."

"I was not in any way insinuating that I was expecting any sort of, ah, _favours_ in return." Martouf blushed briefly, before Lantash could remedy it. "I merely..."

"Relax, I know you didn't mean it like that. Just... it's a lot of gold, and I wouldn't want you to have that kind of expense."

"Really, it is nothing. Gold is a waste product from our tunnelling. Would you prefer jewels, they are much more portable? I think sapphires would suit you." He smiled at her, getting a glint in his eyes.

Sam laughed. "Okay, that's impressive, but I really don't need it. I earn more than enough to pay for whatever I need." She smiled at him. "Though I'll admit... a sapphire... now that sounds attractive."

"Then you shall have one... or a few," Martouf said. He turned and fired three shots at the crates, making them disappear. "As soon as I get back to the tunnels."

Sam stared at the spot where the crates had been a moment ago, temporarily forgetting everything else. "Doesn't that violate several conservation laws? Vaporizing _that_ much mass, just like... poof!?"

"I'll have to admit that it is a bit complicated. If you are interested, then Lantash and I would be happy to explain the physics to you. Perhaps over dinner, when we're safely back on the Tau'ri homeworld?" Martouf suggested, smiling shyly.

She rolled her eyes a little, but smiled back at him. " _Smooth_... but yeah, I'd like an explanation. So you're on, mister!"

For a moment, he looked puzzled over her expression, then he grasped the meaning and nodded, pleased. "Good. I look forward to it." He lifted the beam that was still blocking access to the door aside, and then ripped open the control panel. "There is some power running through it still - I shall attempt to override the damaged circuits and open the door."

He worked at it for some minutes, then the door suddenly slid part-way open. O'Neill immediately stuck his head through and waved at them, grinning a little.

"Hi, guys! Good to see you! About time you got that door open!"


	2. Stranded

They had just managed to get the door out from the teltac to open, when Daniel suddenly made a scream and jumped up from where he had been lying after O'Neill and Teal'c had given him a sedative. He raced past the others and out onto the planet, laughing maniacally.

"Daniel! Stop!" O'Neill shouted after him. " _Damn_! We don't know _anything_ about this planet or it's dangers and he just runs right out! After him!"

Teal'c and Lantash took off after Daniel, and the others followed at a somewhat slower speed.

"At least there are no people here. He shouldn't be able to get into too much trouble," Sam said, frowning. She was worried for her friend, though Martouf/Lantash and Jacob/Selmak had both insisted that he should be fine... in time.

O'Neill scoffed. "It's _Daniel_ we're talking about here! He can get in trouble _anywhere_!" He looked up. "What's with the weird, purple sky?"

"Wow, that's interesting! It's almost shimmering between pink, blue, and purple! I wonder what the composition of the atmosphere is, or if the sun..."

"Not _now_ , Carter!" O'Neill exclaimed.

"Sorry, sir." Sam grinned sheepishly, then looked at Selmak, walking beside them. "How are you doing?"

"Much better, thank you. However, I am not the one with an injured leg. Perhaps you should have remained at the teltac?"

"No, I can walk," Sam insisted, suppressing a wince when she felt a stab of pain from her leg.

They continued on as fast as they could, following the others.

* * *

" _Awesome_!" Daniel exclaimed, stopping and looking at the strange, uneven roundish thing before him. "It's pulsating! Probably some sort... sort of religious sig... significance," he rambled. "Clearly not Goa'uld... or Ancient. What is it?"

The thing suddenly spoke. "A question. Since before your sun burned hot in space and before your race was born, I have awaited a question."

"Whoa!" Daniel almost stumbled over his own feet as he jumped away from it. "You speak?"

"Yes," it _boomed_.

"Uh, wh... _what_ are you?" Daniel asked, trying to focus on it.

"I am the Guardian of Forever."

"Uh, are you... like a person? Or a machine?"

"I am both and neither. I am my own beginning, my own ending."

"What... what do you do?"

"I know everything, see everything. In all times."

"So you're... you're like a time machine?" Daniel grinned. "That's _awesome_! Show me the past... no, no the _future_! I want to see the future!"

"Which period and location do you require?"

"Eh... eh, _Earth_. Um, 1000 years in the future. No... no! Wait!" He grinned like crazy. "Last week... Jack was going on about the Mayan apocalypse. I'm going to _prove_ nothing happens. I want to go to... December 21st 2012! Where... where... somewhere it's fairly warm. Somewhere in California?"

The open center of the ring-shape flickered, and then a landscape with a blue sky could be seen. "Behold. A gateway to your own future, if you wish."

"Doctor Jackson! _Daniel_!" Lantash yelled.

"Stop!" Teal'c ordered.

Daniel turned to look at them, a wild expression on his face. "No, you're not going to get me!" he screamed, walking backwards away from them, and towards 'the Guardian of Forever'. Suddenly he turned and ran, jumping through the gateway.

Lantash and Teal'c stopped, looking on as the image - if that was what it was - flickered and disappeared.

* * *

"What's with the donut? And where's Daniel?" O'Neill wondered.

Martouf/Lantash and Teal'c had searched the area and examined 'the Guardian of Forever' as well as they could, even questioning it. They had not learned much that was of use, though.

"It would seem to be a gateway of some sort," Lantash said. "It calls itself 'the Guardian of Forever'."

"Your scientific knowledge is obviously primitive. In those terms; I can be a gateway to other times and dimensions," the Guardian of Forever told them.

Lantash glared at the alien device - or lifeform - clearly not appreciating having his scientific knowledge termed primitive.

"Wow, impressive," Sam exclaimed. "Sir, we need to examine this device."

"With _what_? We're stranded on an alien planet, with no food and water, and no way to get home - and Daniel is missing! Now's _not_ the time for this!" O'Neill told her.

"Of course, sir." Sam looked bashful.

"Daniel appears to have jumped through this gateway, to some other place. Perhaps we can do so as well, and get to a planet with a chaapa'ai," Lantash suggested.

"That's a good idea," Sam agreed.

"Yeah, we'll go wherever Daniel went," O'Neill decided. "Hey..." He turned to Lantash. "What did you call that thing? The donut."

Somewhat amused, he raised an eyebrow at O'Neill, but answered without comment. "The Guardian of Forever."

"Okay... _Guardian_ , open a... connection to wherever Daniel went."

"Behold. A gateway to the same time and place your friend travelled."

"Okay." O'Neill shrugged. "So, let's follow. Can't get any worse than here, right?"

* * *

They soon found themselves in a green field, with a blue sky above them.

"How did we get here? There's _no_ indication of the gateway being here at _all_ ," Sam said. She looked up. "We're obviously on another world than before, though."

"Yes," Selmak agreed. " And it would seem we cannot enter the gateway from this side."

"At least this place looks more pleasant!" O'Neill pointed out. "Now we just need to find Daniel, then we'll go see if there's any locals who will agree to share their dinner." He patted his stomach.

"This place _would_ seem to be much lusher than the other planet, that is correct," Martouf said. "If we are fortunate, there is a chaapa'ai on this world, but in any case it should be easier to survive here." He closed his eyes and got a distant expression. "I am fairly certain there _is_ a chaapa'ai here, but it is far away. At the very limit of what I can sense."

"Which means what?" O'Neill asked.

"In your measurements... about 950 miles, perhaps," Martouf said.

O'Neill gaped at him. "Woah! That's impressive! You can _sense_ the Stargate at that distance?"

"Barely."

"Don't forget that Hathor felt our Stargate from all the way down in Mexico," Sam reminded him.

"Right," O'Neill said, clearly not happy to be reminded of Hathor.

"As a Goa'uld queen, she could sense a chaapa'ai from even further away than Lantash can," Martouf told them.

"Listen, we should probably get out of this field," Sam observed, suddenly noticing something. "It's clearly been planted - and with a machine, I think, so the planet must have a fairly high level of technology."

"You're right," O'Neill said, studying the straight rows of plants. "Though I think this field is dormant... winter time." He gave them a wry grin. "My uncle was a farmer, and I helped him out sometimes when I was a kid, so that's why I know."

"That is useful knowledge," Teal'c told him. "So you believe the farmer will not mind we are in his field?"

"Well... as long as we don't kick stuff around, I doubt it'll matter."

"Someone else passed her very recently," Martouf observed, kneeling down and checking on some footprints. "Perhaps Daniel Jackson?"

"The person was running and stumbling. It seems likely to be Daniel Jackson," Teal'c agreed.

"Okay, then I guess we follow the tracks," O'Neill said. He looked around. "Let's hope there are no hostiles here. It's too bad we don't have any weapons."

"I still have the zat'nik'tel I used to remove the crates and debris that were blocking the door to your compartment," Martouf said, pulling out the weapon from one of the large pockets in his BDU.

O'Neill nodded. "Good, be sure to keep it ready."

* * *

They followed Daniel's track for a while, walking through what seemed like endless fields. He appeared to still be under the influence of the drug, because sometimes he veered off erratically, and a couple times he walked in a circle before continuing.

When they had walked for maybe fifteen minutes, and was approaching a small cluster of trees, Teal'c pointed. "There!"

The others almost immediately spotted Daniel as well. He was lying against one of the trees, apparently sleeping.

"Daniel!" O'Neill exclaimed, starting to run towards him.

"Sir, maybe it's not such a good idea to call his attention..." Sam began.

Teal'c and Martouf sprinted after O'Neill, while Selmak and Sam followed at a slower pace. Selmak was still working on healing a broken arm, and Sam's leg and head were both throbbing with pain.

Before any of them could reach Daniel, he jumped up with a cry, then took off at a high speed towards a pile of rocks that had probably been removed from the fields by the farmer. Martouf pulled out his zat'nik'tel and fired, hitting Daniel, who immediately stumbled and fell, unconscious.

"Crap! Let's hope he didn't hit his head!" O'Neill said, looking worriedly at the many boulders near where Daniel had fallen.

Martouf ran to him, kneeling down beside him and checking on him. "He is all right. He did not hurt himself on the rocks."

* * *

They had carried Daniel to a grass covered spot nearby, and laid him down there.

"Shouldn't he have woken up already? Zat-shots doesn't usually keep people under for that long," O'Neill said.

Martouf nodded. "That is true. It is probably a combination of the sedative you administered, and the drug Heka gave him, which is having this effect. Hopefully, he will be lucid when he awakens."

"I believe it would be prudent to tie him up, before he awaken," Teal'c told them. "If his mind is still clouded, he may attempt to escape, otherwise."

"Are you crazy? We're _not_ tying up Daniel!" O'Neill exclaimed.

"It may not be such a bad idea. We're on an unknown - obviously technologically advanced - planet. We can't risk Daniel running off and doing something that angers the locals... or endangers himself," Jacob said.

"Dad, you're awake!" Sam smiled at him. "How are you?"

"I'm fine. I woke up a little while ago., but I just needed to get my bearings." He smiled back at Sam, before looking at the sky. "Perfectly normal blue sky - I've looked at Selmak's memories from the planet we landed on - it was _not_ like this. Weird, purple coloured. This is a clear improvement."

"Maybe so, but we still don't have a clue where we are, or if we can get away from here!" O'Neill pointed out. He looked at Daniel and shook his head. "I wonder where you told that doughnut-thingie to send us!"

* * *

"I hear an... engine, of some sort. An airborne vessel, I believe." Martouf looked up, then pointed at the sky. "There."

"An airplane?" Sam said, surprised. "I mean, that's obviously not a Goa'uld ship. How common are airplanes on other worlds?"

"I know of maybe ten worlds which have such vessels, aside from the Goa'uld, and most of those are more advanced than what this seems to be. That... _airplane_ appears to be driven by combustion of simple chemicals, since it is creating a trail of water vapour," Martouf observed.

O'Neill sent him an unhappy look, but before he could comment on Martouf essentially calling Earth primitive, they all saw something else that called their attention.

"A car?" Jacob looked disbelieving.

"It... would appear to be a car, yes," Sam agreed, looking at the vehicle driving in a straight line, possibly following a road. It came closer, then passed them, maybe 2500 feet away.

"Did we somehow go to Earth?" O'Neill asked.

"We may have. I guess that depends on where Daniel asked 'the Guardian of Forever' to send him. Maybe he told it he wanted to go to Earth," Sam suggested.

"That sounds too lucky. We _never_ have that kind of luck," O'Neill said.

Sam frowned. "However, it doesn't look like it's the right season - it should be summer soon. Of course, it depends on _where_ on Earth we ended up."

"Maybe it isn't Earth, then," O'Neill said.

"Well, there's an easy way to find out. Some of us go check out that road. Maybe there's a sign somewhere," Jacob suggested. "Someone should stay here and keep an eye on Daniel, though. Sam? You're leg is still bad, and you've got a concussion, so you should stay - and maybe a couple more."


	3. Where are we?

"Hiiii... Jack! Hijack!" Daniel grinned widely and waved at O'Neill who just rolled his eyes.

"Did you find any signs?" Sam asked.

"Yes, one. It said 'Silverstone 5 miles'," Martouf told her.

"Which is as good as nothing. Could be _anywhere_ ," O'Neill insisted, turning away from Daniel.

"Well, yeah, but all of this _does_ seem to point to us being on Earth," Sam said, frowning. "Almost certainly in the US - there aren't many other places that use miles, and the name sounds English. The season looks wrong, though. Maybe we're far to the north, but even there the growing season should have started. I just don't get it." She sighed. "Anyway, I guess it's a good thing we're all wearing BDUs - Tok'ra uniforms might look a bit out of place."

"Goa'uld! You're a _Goa'uld_!" Daniel exclaimed, looking at O'Neill with wide eyes. He immediately got up and would have run away, had Teal'c not grabbed hold of him and stopped him. "He's a Goa'uld! Don't you understand? _Look_! Look at his _neck_!"

"Daniel Jackson, you will relax! O'Neill is _not_ a Goa'uld!" Teal'c told him.

"He is. He _is_. Look, the scar!" Daniel pointed, a desperate look on his face."

Sam frowned, then nodded. "The entry scar on his neck is from the symbiote Hathor allowed to... take the Colonel as a host."

"Besides, if he were a host, we would sense it. So trust me, he is not," Martouf added.

Suddenly Daniel grinned maniacally. "Fooled you!" He immediately laid down again, and seemed to fall asleep.

O'Neill shook his head. "I _really_ look forward to that being over!"

* * *

It was almost two hours later, when Daniel awoke again. This time he was calmer, and when he spoke, it was clear he was back to normal. "Uh, where are we?"

"Funny _you_ should ask that!" O'Neill exclaimed. "Seeing as if it's _you_ who picked this place!"

"What do you mean?" Daniel looked strangely at him.

"We think we may be on Earth," Sam told him. "You don't remember how we got here? Or the planet we crashed on?"

"No!" Daniel insisted. "Not at all."

"Wonderful!" O'Neill groaned. "If everyone is ready, let's get going. The sun's going to be down soon, and it's starting to get cold. I'd very much like to find someplace warm to spend the night - preferably some place with cable and room service!"

* * *

They had walked along the road for some time, with Sam still limping a little. Martouf was supporting her, and they managed to keep a fairly good speed. Still, it was almost dark when they reached the nearest settlement.

"That's the _city_?" O'Neill sounded disbelieving. " _Village_ would be an exaggeration - it's just a couple houses and a gas station!"

"And the gas station isn't even open," Sam said. "Not that it looks like they're selling much - probably only snacks and soft drinks." She looked at the houses again, and back at the gas station. "I wonder why they've still got Christmas decorations up?"

"Maybe they like them and never take them down?" O'Neill suggested, not really interested.

"Since we don't have any money, it hardly matters if the place is open or not, does it?" Daniel observed, morosely.

O'Neill looked around for a moment. "Let's take a look at the back - maybe they've, ah, forgot to lock the door."

"Jack!" Daniel said, disapprovingly.

"What? I won't break anything, but this looks like the only place we're likely to find food, unless you think the good folks of Silverstone are going to let a gang of shabby soldiers in? After the torture and the crash, we don't exactly look respectable. Besides, Stargate Command will make it up to them."

"I'll keep guard," Martouf said, taking out his zat'nik'tel.

"I shall accompany you." Teal'c looked around and spotted a long stick standing against the side wall of the gas station building. He examined it. It was made of some kind of hardwood, ash, perhaps. "This will suffice as a weapon."

"Okay, great, guys!" O'Neill gave them a thumbs up. "We'll be back in a moment!"

* * *

After some searching, they had located a window which was not completely closed, and they had managed to open it. Daniel had crawled inside, and unlocked the door, and he, Jacob/Selmak, Sam, and O'Neill were now inside the small store.

"They've got more food here than I expected - candy, snacks and soft drinks, of course - but also a little bit of fruit, some bread, cans with some sort of ready-made food, tubes with some sort of cheese spread, and a few tubs of yoghurt. Even a container with milk - and it isn't too old!" Sam said, surprised.

"Also some frozen microwave pizza pockets. I love those. They're great!" O'Neill grinned happily.

"They're disgusting and unhealthy," Sam said. "But I guess we don't have much to chose from."

"Oh, and the freezer's got ice cream and plenty of sausages," O'Neill continued, ignoring the comment from his second in command. "Are there any ketchup and mustard over on the shelves? Buns?"

"Yeah." Jacob nodded. "There is."

" _Awesome_!" O'Neill's grin widened. "And they've got a place to cook sausages _and_ a microwave! This place is getting better and better! Why don't you guys heat up some of the food while I go see if I can find a phone? We'd better call the SGC so they can come pick us up."

"Uh, sir, do you really think it's such a good idea to start cooking food in _here_? We've broken in!" Sam said.

"With no light on, who's gonna spot us?" O'Neill shrugged.

"I agree with Sam - we should grab what we want and get out of here," Jacob said.

"Spoilsport." O'Neill grumbled as he went to the backroom to look for a telephone.

* * *

" _We have no one here with that name._ Where _did you get this number?_ " The man at the other end demanded, sounding very hostile.

"Never mind. Bye!" O'Neill hung up, frowning. He thought for a moment, then dialled another number.

* * *

O'Neill walked back into the store-part of the building, deep in thought.

"Sir, did you talk to anyone at the base?" Sam asked.

"No. Well, yeah, in a way. Listen, guys, I think we may have a problem..." O'Neil said.

"Problem?" Jacob wondered.

O'Neill sighed. "I think there's something going on at Stargate Command... or maybe they're just more paranoid than usual. They didn't know my name - or Hammond's... or at least they claimed not to know. I even gave the password. They just got real touchy and wanted to know how I got the number." He shook his head. "Then I called Harriman, directly on his personal number - _and_ on his home number. No answer on the home one, but someone I didn't know answered the first number - and he sounded pretty shady. I think we'd better get out of here."

Sam nodded. "Sounds like a good idea. I don't feel like hanging around here a long time anyway. Someone may discover us." She pointed at several bags. "We got all we can carry anyway."

A 'pling' was heard from the microwave oven. "That should be the last batch of the 'pizza pockets' - we've heated one for each," Jacob told O'Neill.

"Wonderful!" O'Neill looked happier again. "Okay, let's get going, then." He spotted a cap hanging on a hook, and grabbed it. "Better get something for Teal'c, so he can hide that tattoo."

"Wait... guys? Uh, I found a newspaper..." Daniel said.

"Not now, Daniel." O'Neill picked up one of the bags.

"I think you're going to want to hear this..."

"Okay, what?"

"December 21st... 2012. That's today's date."

"What?" O'Neill stared at him.

"Oh, my God! _Time_ travel! That explains it. We've travelled through space _and_ time!" Sam said.

"Yeah... and this article about the Mayan apocalypse... I think I know why we're here." Daniel got a guilty look.

"Okay, Daniel. What did you do? _Why_ did you get us sent to the future?" O'Neill demanded.

"Uh, I'm not sure I did, but maybe I did. I have this vague memory of... wanting to show you nothing would happen at the so-called Mayan Apocalypse. You remember we talked about it?"

"We were drinking _beers_ , Daniel! I was _drunk_! You know that! I never believed anything would happen. _Jesus_!"

"Um, I know, but I was somewhat confused earlier, and..."

"Never mind. Come on - we're _leaving_!" O'Neill hesitated. "Oh, and give me one of those pizza pockets you heated!"

* * *

"We have travelled to the future?" Martouf asked, surprised.

They were walking along a gravel road, through a sparse forest. They were each carrying one or two bags with food, drink, and other useful items they had stolen from the gas station.

"Yes. about 11 and a half years," Sam confirmed.

"How did this happen?" Martouf wondered.

"Ask Daniel," O'Neill said, curtly.

"Jack! I wasn't thinking clearly!" Daniel complained. "But I'm _sorry_ , okay?"

"The Tau'ri have a belief that their world will end on December 21st, 2012. That does not seem to be so. However, there are still a number of hours left before we know with certainty," Teal'c explained.

"It's just superstition - Daniel just picked that date because he was under the influence of the drug," Sam said, quickly. "Listen, if we're on Earth, perhaps we could contact someone? Friends, family?"

"No, that's not a good idea. We've been missing, presumed dead, for almost 12 years, remember?" O'Neill told her. "Oh, and you might want this, Teal'c." He handed him the cap he had taken at the gas station.

"Jack's right," Jacob said. "We don't know what has happened, or who we can trust. Mark and his family doesn't know about the Stargate project - at least he didn't... _before_. If something's wrong at Stargate Command, it'll just endanger all of us, including our friends and family if we try to contact them."


	4. Discoveries

They had walked for a couple hours more, and found a place fairly deep inside the forest, where they hoped no one would bother them. It was late night, several hours after midnight.

The spot they had picked was protected against the wind on three sides, as well as over their heads - it was a sort of shallow cave.

After collecting firewood, they had built a fire - with matches they had found at the gas station. They cooked the sausages and made hot dogs using the buns, ketchup, and mustard. It had been a fairly good, if not exactly healthy, meal.

"I was thinking... if we can get to a computer somewhere, I could probably hack into Stargate Command... and perhaps figure out what's going on," Sam said. She drank the last of her diet coke.

"That sounds like a good idea, but I'm not sure where we'll find a computer around here... if we even knew were 'here' _was_!" Jacob looked at his can of regular coke, and the 'best before' date. He still had a hard time accepting they had actually time travelled.

"It's Christmas - a lot of people will be on vacation, and schools will be closed. We'll find you a computer, Carter," O'Neill promised.

"We should do an inventory of what we have - food, weapons, and such," Jacob said.

"Yeah, that's probably a good idea. What did we get?" O'Neill asked.

"We still have some sausages and buns, ketchup and mustard, of course..." Sam said, looking over the bags. "Also some fruit, two loaves of bread, ten cans of various ready-made food, 4 cans of beans, three tubes of cheese-spread, one glass of jam..." She frowned. "And in the bag we placed in the stream to keep it cold, there's two tubs of yoghurt, and a gallon of milk. I think that's it for food. No, wait... there's also chocolate and a bunch of granola bars... and some bottled water and a few cans of soda."

O'Neill nodded. "Sounds good. We should be able to survive for some days on that. It won't be fun, but it's doable."

"As for weapon, we have got one zat'nik'tel, one folding knife with various other utensils, and the wooden staff Teal'c found beside the gas station," Martouf told them.

"Various other things... two boxes of matches, some tea candles, a ball of twine, and..." Sam counted. "Ten emergency foil blankets. Also a small medikit with bandages and some painkillers."

"Sounds better and better." O'Neill smiled. "I've been camping with less!"

"I got a pad of paper and a pen - but I didn't get the newspaper," Daniel said.

"What do you want with the paper and pen? Keep a diary?" O'Neill wondered. "We don't need a lot of crap to carry around!"

"It's always good to have. Who knows when there's something we need to write down?" Daniel defended himself.

O'Neill shrugged. "I guess. Okay - time to sleep. I'll take the first two hours of guard duty, then I'll wake you up Carter. Then Martouf, then Teal'c."

"Would it not be the most logical if I stand guard?" Teal'c said. "I am the only one not in need of sleep."

"You need to do you kel'no'reem-ing," O'Neill pointed out.

"I was not greatly injured in the crash, and it should take no more than an hour for my symbiote to make the repairs, and refresh me. You can alert me after that, O'Neill, and I shall take over guard duty."

Martouf put some more firewood on the fire, and then they all settled down for the night - or what was left of it anyway - wrapping themselves in a foil blanket each. It would at least help them to stay warm.

* * *

The next day they continued walking. Sam's leg still hurt, but it was at least not worse, and her concussion was no longer causing her to have a constant headache, so that was something, at least.

She did not want to slow down their progress, and with the help of the painkillers they had found at the gas station, she was able to keep up with the others. The others were all a little worried about her, but accepted her reassurances that she was all right. Now and then, when the path became rough and uneven, Martouf would put an arm around Sam and support her, and she accepted, gratefully.

Most of the day they walked through a dense forest. Around mid-afternoon, the small track became a gravel road, and then, near evening, they exited the forest. They stood looking at a highway, with two signs pointing in different directions. One said 'Peach Grove, 4 miles' and the other said 'Laketown, 5 miles'.

"What do you think? Left or right?" O'Neill asked.

"It's late. Let's pick the closest one. We don't know anything about either place anyway." Daniel said, sounding tired.

Jacob shrugged. "Yeah, why not?"

"Okay, Peach Grove it is," O'Neill decided.

* * *

"Looks like they have a school. Maybe we could take a look, and see if we can get to a computer with an internet connection?" Sam said.

O'Neill nodded. "It's possible. It looks fairly easily accessible. Jacob?"

Jacob was studying the school buildings and the surroundings. "It looks deserted... still, something's making me uneasy. It's probably nothing." He made a decision. "Let's check it out - _carefully_."

The street outside the school was completely deserted, so they walked into the schoolyard and started looking for an open window someone might have forgotten to close before everyone went on holiday.

"It doesn't look like any of the windows have been left open." Martouf observed.

"Crap!" O'Neill said. " _Cameras_ \- by all the doors. Who puts surveillance cameras on a school in a god-forsaken place like _this_? Come on, let's leave!"

They spent some time walking around in the quiet streets of the city. Now and then they met someone who was out walking, or a car drove past them, but most of the time they were the only ones out. Presumably people were home for the evening, doing the last Christmas preparations, or maybe they had already left to go on vacation or to visit family for the holiday season.

* * *

"Maybe there's a computer in there," Sam suggested, pointing at a small building on the edge of the city graveyard. .

"That looks like the church janitor or groundskeepers office - I doubt very much he's got a computer. At least not one with internet access," O'Neill said.

"We're more than 11 years into the future. Internet has _got_ to have become more ubiquitous," Sam insisted.

"There does not seem to be any of those surveillance cameras on this building," Martouf said.

Jacob considered it, then nodded. "Okay, let's check it out."

They carefully snuck closer, making sure no one was nearby. Sam walked up to the window and looked inside. The room was very dark, but she could see the stand-by lights from several kinds of electrical devices, and she also imagined she could see a monitor. "I think there _may_ be a computer in there..."

Martouf stepped up beside her, and looked into the room as well. "I agree. There is something that could be a kind of computer screen in the room."

"Or a tv!" O'Neill said, then shrugged. "All right. Let's see if we can find our way inside."

* * *

"Did you find a modem? Can you connect it to the internet?" Daniel asked.

"They've got broadband - always on," Sam observed, as she was trying to figure out how to get a command shell. The computer was running a version of Windows that she had never seen before.

"They sprung for _that_ \- for their janitor?" O'Neill sounded surprised.

"It's probably not only academia and larger organisations and schools which have that now. We're in the future, remember?" Daniel told him.

"Yeah, yeah..." O'Neill said. "Carter? Any luck?"

"Just give me a moment, sir."

O'Neill nodded. "Okay. The rest of you - check out the place. See if you can find anything edible or other useful stuff."

"There's a bathroom with a shower," Daniel said, opening a door.

"Maybe we should take the opportunity to bathe, then?" Martouf suggested.

Jacob looked at the only window, and the thick curtain they had pulled across it. The graveyard was at the edge of town, and the building was located close to a small group of tree - and with the window facing away from the road. They would probably be quite safe here. He shrugged. "I don't see why not."

* * *

"Wow!" Sam said.

"What did you find?" O'Neill asked.

"I finally managed to get into the central database at Stargate Command." She shook her head. "Well, first... as you probably expected, we've all been declared MIA, presumed dead. They think we were all killed by Heka, those 11 ½ years ago."

"That sucks! But I guess it was to be expected," O'Neill said. "It's going to be hard proving who we are, with no ID or anything - unless there's someone who knows us and will vouch for us."

"Couldn't we go to our homes? There must be something there we can use," Daniel suggested.

"We don't have anywhere to go. Your homes will have been sold, and your stuff given to relatives," Jacob reminded them. "But I guess we can contact some of our friends."

"They will have been told we're dead, besides, I can't really find anyone I know at Stargate Command!" Sam said. "Everyone we knew seems to have been transferred away, have left, or are dead!"

"What? That doesn't make sense! It's not been _that_ long," O'Neill insisted.

Sam took a deep breath. "General Hammond was transferred to something called 'Homeworld Security', but he died a few years ago. There was a civilian oversight committee which had someone there for a while, then a man called 'Hank Landry' got the position of commander for Stargate Command. He was transferred away some time ago."

"Hammond is dead?" O'Neill shook his head slowly, looking sad.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Jacob said. "George was a good friend."

Sam nodded. "Yes." She sighed, then continued telling them what she had learned. "Siler has been transferred away - as has Harriman. That explains why you couldn't get hold of him."

"What? _Harriman_ transferred away?" O'Neill just stared at her. "Siler? I didn't think they would let _anyone_ transfer either of them away"

Sam shook her head. "I think a lot of things have changed. Janet is gone... to the Tok'ra."

"The Tok'ra?" O'Neill wondered.

"Yes, she was badly wounded back in 2003, and chose to become a host to survive. Apparently, the alliance between Earth and the Tok'ra was fairly strong back then. It's not anymore... actually, I can find no contact between Earth and the Tok'ra recently. We seems to have had an alliance with the Jaffa also - they're calling themselves the 'Free Jaffa'. That alliance is gone now. As are many of the System Lords - that's one of the few good things that have happened. Someone called Ba'al seems to have become the new Supreme System Lord, though, and it appears he's rebuilding the Goa'uld empire."

"Ba'al?" Jacob said. "He was a fairly minor System Lord - back in 2000. He was starting to gain some power, though, but Supreme System Lord? That's a bit surprising."

"More than a bit," Lantash insisted. "But it is good to hear many of the System Lords are gone, even if it is unfortunate one of them has become this strong. Why have the Tok'ra allowed one Goa'uld to gain so much power?"

"Yeah, don't you guys try to keep them evenly matched, so you don't have one that's too strong to touch? Or something..." O'Neill said.

"I... found something that may partly explain it." Sam looked apologetic - and sad. "There has been several large attacks on the Tok'ra, and at one point one of their largest bases were almost completely wiped out. The Tok'ra may not have enough people left to keep the Goa'uld fighting."

Both Jacob and Lantash looked stunned. Jacob recovered first. "Or the attacks have caused the survivors to flee, including many of those undercover."

Lantash nodded. "Yes, and if many System Lords are dead, then those Tok'ra who were undercover at their courts, will have had to find new positions. It takes time. Most likely our network of operatives are not yet fully back to strength." He sighed. "But it is distressing, troublesome news indeed."

"Yeah, all of what you've found is." Daniel frowned. "It sounds like there's something very wrong at Stargate Command."

"I agree," O'Neill said. "We should not attempt to contact them until we know more - preferably from someone we know and trust."

* * *

They had stayed for several hours, giving all of them time to shower, and relax a little. There was little in the way of food or other useful items in the building, but they did find a box of cookies and a bag of potato chips. In addition, they took a warm blanket, a flashlight, and a backpack to carry things in. There was also a small amount of money, which they took as well.

Feeling somewhat better, they set out to find a place to hide for the rest of the night. Since the next day would be Sunday, December 23rd, and since there had been a notice in the janitor's calendar for early work for him that day, they decided the place they were hiding would not be a safe place to stay any longer.

"Some sort of old barn would be the best place to hide - or maybe a cabin in the woods," O'Neill said.

Jacob nodded. "I agree. We'll just have to keep looking."

"Another thing... if we're going to... be on the run, for a longer time, then perhaps we should use some of that money we took to buy clean socks and underwear?" Daniel suggested.

"I vote in favour of that," Sam said.

Jacob sighed. "Not a bad idea, but let's first see if we can find some more food, shall we?"


	5. Finding Shelter

They had spent the rest of the night huddled together in an old shack they had found. Most of the roof was missing, and parts of the walls were gone as well. The temperature had fallen to just above freezing, and a light drizzle had started just before dawn, making it difficult to keep the fire going.

With sunrise the temperature went up as well, and their spirits rose. They needed to find some way of getting money, so they could travel to Colorado Springs, and see what had happened to Stargate Command.

"Maybe they've moved it? The Stargate could be back in Egypt, for all we know!" Daniel said.

"It is still there. As I told you when we'd first arrived, I can sense it. True, it is near the limit of what I can sense, but the energy signature _is_ there, Lantash insisted.

"Okay," O'Neill said, accepting the other man's statement. "So at least we know the Stargate is still there. That's something."

"What do we do when we get there?" Daniel asked. "If none of the people we know work there anymore, I mean."

"I don't believe every single person we knew has moved away from Colorado Springs! If nothing else, there's _gotta_ be someone from _one_ of the SG teams that still lives in Colorado Springs!" O'Neill insisted.

Sam looked thoughtful for a moment. "Actually, you may be right, sir. When I was logged into the central database at Stargate Command, I looked up some of the SG teams. I found a few people I think I remember, but none I really know. However, I wrote down the names of the SG-1 team that was created after we had been declared MIA. Since they all stopped working for the SGC about a year ago, I'm assuming we can trust them. If we're lucky, they - or any of the other team members - may still live in Colorado Springs."

"Okay, then! We'll check it out when we get there!" O'Neill said.

* * *

They had continued walking most of the day, passing only fields, and the occasional small patch of forest, or a tiny clutch of houses. By now, Sam's leg was better, and the pain was down to a dull ache. She had little problem keeping up with the others.

When evening approached, they spotted another small grouping of houses ahead.

"Seems like yet another village. Aren't there _any_ cities out here?" O'Neill complained.

"Well, there's Peach Grove..." Daniel reminded him.

"Yeah, that's a day's walk back - and I wouldn't call it a 'city'... at least not much of a city. It had only a handful of stores, for Christ's sake!"

"However, it seems as if this village may have a place we can stay tonight," Martouf observed, pointing at a dark, obviously unoccupied house.

"Nice - let's take a look," Jacob decided.

* * *

The house had been empty for a long time. Many years, probably. The roof had large holes in it, and the glass in several of the windows were broken or missing. Still, the wind that had picked up outside was mostly absent in here, and the rain was reduced to a dripping here and there.

There was an old fireplace, and they managed to scavenge enough dry wood and other burnable material from around the house to build a decent fire. Several of the windows still had functioning shutters, and with those closed, it was an acceptable place to stay the night.

They heated most of the last of the food over the fire, and enjoyed a hot, fairly decent meal before wrapping themselves up in blankets and going to sleep.

Sam threw a glance at Martouf/Lantash, who were sitting a short distance away. She thought Martouf had control, but she was not always able to tell. The only light in the room was from the fire, but to Sam it looked as if Martouf was deep in thought, or perhaps in discussion with Lantash.

He looked sad, and Sam suspected he was thinking about the many Tok'ra that had been killed during the recent years. He was probably worried about his friends, and his entire people. She suddenly wished she could hug him to her, comfort him somehow.

That led her to thinking about being snuggled up to him. She wondered how it would feel to lie close to him, with her head on his chest, or perhaps with him pressed against her back, holding her. Memories came to her, from Jolinar, and she remembered how it had felt to be held. These thoughts immediately led to more erotic thoughts, and she quickly pushed those away. Now was not the time for that!

With a deep sigh, she forced herself to relax, and think of nothing in particular, and slowly she dozed off.

* * *

It had gotten colder during the night, and with the fire reduced to embers, it was no longer even remotely warm inside the house. They awoke just before dawn, when a strong wind caused one of the broken shutters to slam open.

After eating the last of the food they had stolen from the gas station a couple days before, the cold - and still hungry - group set out on their journey again. According to a sign they spotted, there would be another city 10 miles from where they were. Hopefully, it would be larger.

"It's Christmas Eve, and here we are - cold and hungry," O'Neill grumbled. A drop of rain hit him, shortly after followed by another, and then another. "And wet. How did we deserve this? We're supposed to be the good guys!"

"Hey, look! It's fruit trees, isn't it?" Daniel exclaimed, pointing towards a large number of trees standing in orderly lines.

"Yes, there are orange fruits on the trees," Lantash said, having a much better eyesight than Daniel.

"Oranges?" Daniel suggested.

"Possibly," Lantash offered. "The trees are, however, inside a fence. The owner will not appreciate us stealing the fruit."

"I bet he won't miss a few. Aren't the rest of you hungry?" Daniel asked.

"It's broad daylight, Daniel! I don't feel like having an angry farmer firing at us with his shotgun!" O'Neill exclaimed.

They walked in silence for some minutes, until the road passed the orchard.

"Oranges - and persimmons!" Daniel groaned, seeing the fruit close by. "I love persimmons!"

"O'Neill was correct in voicing his concern before, Daniel Jackson. There is in fact a sign proclaiming the dire consequences of trespassing," Teal'c said.

"It's Christmas Eve! I doubt the farmer is spending his time watching his trees! _Jeez_!" Daniel rolled his eyes.

"We do not know that he has not placed surveillance cameras. It would seem those are heavily used on your world," Lantash warned. "It would seem wise to wait for fruit which is not forbidden. Perhaps in one of the small forests we have passed from time to time, though I will admit I have not seen much there which is edible."

They walked a little further, until they got to the corner of the orchard. There one of the trees were standing just inside the fence.

"I'm just going to grab a few. There's no harm in that!" Daniel said in a low voice, stepping up on the bottom rail of the fence, and reaching for the fruit on the lowest branch. The others were all ahead of him, so no one noticed at first.

He could almost reach them, and crawled a little higher up. Just as he grabbed hold of the persimmon, he lost his balance and fell over the fence, crying out in surprise. He held on to the branch, but it was not sturdy enough, and broke with a loud crack.

"Daniel! _Dammit_!" O'Neill exclaimed, hurrying back.

Before Daniel had time to get up, or any of the others could help him, they heard someone shouting and saw a man running towards them from the other end of the orchard.

"Stop! What are you _doing_ on my land?"

"Sorry, sir! We didn't mean to trespass," Daniel said, standing up.

The man stopped maybe ten feet from Daniel and the others, and looked suspiciously at them. "Are you claiming you _accidentally_ crawled up on the fence and into the tree?"

"Um..." Daniel began, not sure what to say. He looked at the man that was probably the owner of the orchard. It was a man, maybe in his mid-sixties, average height, but strong build.

"We apologize, sir. Due to... unfortunate circumstances, we are finding ourselves without a place to stay, nor any means to pay for food," Lantash explained, using Martouf's voice.

"He means we're hungry, sir," O'Neill said.

"Yeah, I got that." The man frowned, taking another look at the group, all wearing BDUs. "Did you lot just return from Afghanistan?"

"Eh..." O'Neill briefly considered saying yes, but since he did not know anything about a war in Afghanistan, and since the man that had caught them might even know people who had been there, O'Neill decided against it. "No... our war... is not in the books, you know?"

The man nodded. "Yes, I _do_ know. I have friends who were sent on secret missions like that. Wars that never officially happened." He sighed. "I was in Vietnam in 1968 - I know how it is to come back to nothing." He considered it for a moment. "Listen, it's Christmas Eve. Why don't you come with me - I'll get you something to eat, and if you want, you can at least sleep in the barn tonight. I know it's cold, but I have some blankets you can borrow, and it's better than being outside, at least. What do you say?"

O'Neill glanced to Jacob, who shrugged. Making a decision, O'Neill turned back to the man. "We'd like that. Thanks."

"Great. I'm Paul O'Reilly."

"Colonel Jack O'Neill. These are General Jacob Carter, Major Samantha Carter, Daniel Jackson, Teal'c, and Martouf... Lantash."

O'Reilly nodded. "A General. Impressive." He shook his head. "I'm not going to ask what it was you were sent to do on that mission of yours. "Come - it's starting to rain again."

* * *

The farmer's wife had insisted on them borrowing clean clothing, and they had also been given permission to use a spare bathroom to shower and clean up.

Teal'c had even borrowed a knit cap, which covered his forehead tattoo much better than the baseball cap had, meaning he did not have to worry about keeping it in place all the time. Neither O'Reilly, nor his wife, had asked any questions as to why he wore it all the time.

After cleaning up a little, and eating warm and delicious food, they were all feeling much better.

"Thank you, sir - and you, ma'am," O'Neill said, smiling at O'Reilly and his wife, Jane. "The food was really good."

"You're very welcome." Jane smiled at him.

"Yes, it was really nice of you to invite us in," Sam added.

"It's no problem - as I said earlier, I know how it is to have returned from a war, and find yourself with no place to stay, and no way to pay for even the most basic of necessities," O'Reilly said.

"I'm sorry we don't have any better place for you than the barn, but we'll have guests for Christmas, arriving this evening." Jane looked very apologetic. "Our son's girlfriend and their kid, my sister and her wife, and Paul's brother and wife. There'll be no free rooms."

"The barn is fine, ma'am. We're very grateful to you for letting us stay there," Jacob assured her.

"I was thinking... you guys aren't in any hurry to get anywhere, are you?" O'Reilly asked.

Jacob shook his head. "No, not particularly."

"Then I have a proposal. I have a very large orchard, and lots of oranges and persimmons that needs picking, but I couldn't find anyone that would work around Christmas, and my son is in Afghanistan, so it's just me and the wife. Would you be interested in the work? I can't pay a whole lot, but you'd get at least minimum wage - and food and shelter. I'm guessing it'll take about a week for you guys, maybe a little longer. What do you say?"

They looked at each other, then all nodded.

"That's a fine offer, sir. We'll be happy to accept," O'Neill told him.

"Good, then that's settled!"


	6. Daily Life

After the dinner, SG-1, Martouf/Lantash, and Jacob/Selmak took the offered blankets and went out into the barn. It turned out to be much nicer than expected.

The building was fairly well insulated, there was a lot of hay to sleep in, and there was some old wooden furniture, which was used outside during the summer months. They even had access to a small bathroom, which the fruit farmer had installed there for convenience.

Since the farmer and his wife had insisted their guests did not begin working until after Christmas, SG-1, Martouf/Lantash, and Jacob/Selmak took the opportunity to relax after the past several days hardship. None of them had gotten much sleep recently, so this was a welcome opportunity to catch up on that.

* * *

"So, what do we do now?" Daniel asked, when they had all found a comfortable place to sleep in the hay.

"We stay here for a week, do the work, and hopefully earn enough to get us to Colorado Springs so we can check out what's going on," Jacob said.

"Sounds like a plan." O'Neill yawned. "I don't know about the rest of you, but I am going to sleep."

"I have already finished my kel'no'reem, so I shall be keeping guard while the rest of you sleep," Teal'c said.

"I don't think that's necessary - we're perfectly safe here, aren't we?" Daniel wondered.

"Probably," Sam agreed sleepily.

Martouf nodded. "That is my assessment as well, however, this is not my world, so I may be mistaken."

"We'll be fine," O'Neill said. He yawned again. "Goodnight kids... you too, Jacob." He turned over on his side and fell asleep.

* * *

"Samantha?" Martouf said, walking up to where Sam was standing, looking out the dusty window at the orchard outside.

It was mid afternoon, Christmas Day, and they had spent most of the day in the barn, playing cards. Sam had excused herself about half an hour ago, and the others had continued playing.

"Game's over?" Sam asked, turning her head to look at him.

He shook his head. "No, but I'm out of it again. This 'poker' is clearly not as easy as I thought."

Sam laughed. "You need to practise. I think the Colonel has played it a lot. So have I - and my dad. Actually, I'm surprised he hasn't tried teaching it to you."

"He has mentioned it, but we hadn't gotten around to it yet. Regretfully."

"The Colonel is teasing you about losing?"

"Hmph." Martouf made a noncommittal sound.

Sam grinned, then decided to let him off the hook. She sighed and looked out the window again. She wondered for the umpteenth time what was going on at Stargate Command, how her friends and family were doing - and how much of what had happened would have gone different if she and the others had not travelled through time. She needed to clear her head of those thoughts. "Listen, the weather outside is nice - for the season, at least. Would you like to take a walk?"

Martouf smiled. "Yes, I would enjoy that very much."

* * *

They had walked for some time, mostly in silence, when Martouf turned towards Sam. "Samantha... is something troubling you?"

Sam did not answer at first, but eventually she nodded. "Yes... _this_..." She waved her hands noncommittally, indicating the place, time, _everything_. "What's happened during the years we... skipped? What's going on at Stargate Command? Why is everyone being reassigned or let go? Anyone we knew or worked with - they all seems to have left. In one way or another. And why doesn't Earth have any contact with the Tok'ra anymore?" She shook her head. "I have a really bad feeling about it all."

"It is not my world, and I do not know how your organization works, other than what I have learned from Jacob. However, I do agree that it sounds... strange. Do you have any theories?"

"No... no, it's nothing concrete. It's just weird. Even if Hammond is dead, and the new guy changed stuff around, then _everyone_ wouldn't be gone. It's as if... no, that doesn't make any sense. Forget about it."

"Easily, as you have not told me what it _is_ I should forget," Martouf said. They walked for a little longer, then he took her arm, stopping her. "Samantha..."

She turned to him. "Yes." She sighed. "What I was thinking... it sounded more like a conspiracy theory than something I would usually say."

"A conspiracy theory?" Martouf wondered.

"It's... well, it's an Earth thing, I guess. When there's something people don't know the answer to, or when they think they haven't been told the whole story - or when what they've been told doesn't make sense to them, or they don't understand the explanation - then they'll try to think up an explanation that they feel _do_ make sense."

"Understandable."

"Yeah, well. Problem is, many of these conspiracy theories are more than a little nutty - and there's apparently lots of people out there who's willing to believe them." She rolled her eyes.

"What is 'nutty'?"

"Crazy. Insane. I mean, some of the ideas isn't too far fetched, but there's some that are really far out. Fortunately, there's fewer people who believe in _those_."

"I am curious, what would be examples of these 'conspiracy theories'?"

"All sorts of things. You name it, someone's probably believing it! For instances, there's those that think the government - or the Air Force - hides knowledge of secret alien technology, or proof of alien life, or even are working _with_ aliens, and hiding the fact."

"I see." Martouf smiled, then bowed his head.

"But that is all true, is it not? It is my understanding that your 'Stargate Project' is kept secret, as is the existence of everyone and everything you have encountered outside of your planet. Is that not correct?" Lantash asked.

"Well, yes, but..." Sam sighed. "Yes, it is, but they don't _know_ that. There's also a lot of people who think some aliens they call 'Roswell Greys' are abducting people and performing experiments on them..." She groaned. "Okay, now I think about it, I realize that the descriptions of those aliens sound like they're Asgard, but _please_ don't tell me they're in the habit of snatching humans to perform experiments on them!"

"There have been... _incidents_ , where Asgard scientists have abducted people for their... examinations. Did you not know this? I would assume they have ceased their experiments on people of your world, though. They rarely continue doing so after official meetings with a race. Anymore, at least."

"You're kidding!" Sam stared at him.

"Not at all. The Tok'ra Council negotiated a treaty a number of centuries ago, and the Asgard agreed to refrain from abducting Tok'ra - and they also promised to... limit their experimentations to... less technologically developed races. It is not ideal, but they would not agree to stop entirely. Understandable, I suppose. Their race is slowly dying from problems caused by both the many changes they have deliberately done to their code of life, and their repeated copying of themselves."

"Wow. We knew _nothing_ about all of this!" Sam said, shocked. "You guys have had a lot of dealings with the Asgard?"

"We have had some, though the Asgard rarely visit our Galaxy for long. They are occupied elsewhere. We send them reports on the Goa'uld, and we have a number of treaties with them."

"Now you mention it..." Sam got a distant expression. "The Tok'ra have... an agreement with the Asgard. We..." She shook herself. "The _Tok'ra_ are safe from the Asgard devices, like Thor's Hammer. It recognizes you as friendly, and doesn't touch you. Right?"

"You remember this from Jolinar, of course. Yes, you are quite correct. However, it is not something we speak of, and I would prefer it if... if no one else heard about it."

"Why?" She shook her head. "Of course, it's not something you can risk getting out, especially to the Goa'uld. If nothing else, it would probably cause them to want the... the protected planet's treaties re-negotiated."

Lantash nodded. "Yes, that too." He hesitated, and took her hands between his, looking at her imploring. "Samantha... can I ask you not to tell anyone about that treaty, please?"

"Of course, I promise," Sam said, meaning it.

"Thank you." He smiled at her, squeezing her hands for a moment before letting go. "So... what about that conspiracy theory of yours? Would you like to share it, even if you think it is... 'nutty'?"

Sam sighed, then grinned. "Okay, if you absolutely want to hear it... You know who the NID is?"

"An... organization on your world, who has a... shady branch, which attempted to steal technology from the Tollan and others, with the intention of using it for weapons against the Goa'uld?"

"You got it in one."

"We were warned about them, should those who escaped turn up and attempt to trick us." He got an arrogant expression. "Not that they would have succeeded, of course."

"Mm, well, I was thinking that maybe... somehow, an organization like them, supported by some of our politicians... that they could take over Stargate Command, get everyone who disagreed fired or reassigned, and then use it for their own agenda. That would explain why they seem to have broken off all contact with any of our off world allies."

"Do you think this is possible?" Lantash asked, looking concerned.

Sam hesitated for a moment, then shook her head. "No, not on the scale this looks like, but problem is... I can't find any other explanation that isn't _worse_."

"Would they cooperate with a Goa'uld, if it gave them power to take over Stargate Command?"

Sam looked at him, surprised. "You know, I said... an explanation which isn't worse. That is _worse_! You've got some flair for the dramatic, mister!"

Lantash looked at her, not quite understanding her wording, but then smiled, getting the gist of what she meant. "Too unrealistic?"

"You should write conspiracy theories!"

They both laughed, then continued walking, enjoying the afternoon sun.

* * *

"Being here... in California, it reminds me of when I've visited my brother Mark and his family for Christmas. The winters are so much warmer than in Colorado," Sam remarked.

They had reached the end of the large orchard, and were slowly walking back towards the barn where they were staying for the next week.

"You brother lives nearby?"

"Well, in a manner of speaking. It's not next door, but it wouldn't take long to get there in a car. He lives in a place called San Diego."

"And you usually visit him during this holiday, Christmas? Correct? Jacob visited them as well for this holiday, about half a year ago. He had much to tell when he returned." Martouf shook his head. "Of course, it is no longer half a year ago, but closer to 12 years ago. His grandchildren are much older now."

"Yeah..." Sam got a wistful expression.

"Forgive me, it must be difficult for you," Martouf said, looking remorseful. "This is a time usually spent with family, and now you are - in effect - stranded here."

"Yes. So close, but in some ways farther away than if I was on another planet." Sam shook her head. "It's okay. I don't normally celebrate holidays much - or spend a lot of time with family and loved ones. I usually end up staying at the base, doing something in my lab." She gave him a wry grin.

"It is commendable that you wish to dedicate your time to your work, but you should permit yourself time to relax as well. Even the Tok'ra do so - when we have the opportunity."

"Now don't _you_ start too!" Sam said, mock angry. "The Colonel and Janet are bad enough!"

"Janet is your healer, correct?" Martouf asked, realizing she was not really angry. "She is your friend?"

"Doctor Janet Fraiser... and yes, she's a friend. A close friend."

"Mm, you should listen to her then. I remember her - she seems to be very... determined." He grinned at her, seeing her roll her eyes. Then he grew serious. "Samantha... you mentioned spending time with your brother and his family, and it pleases me to hear you have a good friend in Doctor Janet Fraiser. As she is apparently now with the Tok'ra, she has not suffered from whatever unfortunate changes has happened at Stargate Command, at least. Your brother and his family were never involved with Stargate Command, so they should also be well. Still, it is hard to know they have thought you were dead for all this time."

"Yeah, well... I just wish I could contact them, but at least they're hopefully okay, as you say." Sam smiled at him, a little bleakly, though she was grateful he understood, and cared.

"12 years is a long time, especially for someone with a human lifespan." He hesitated. "Samantha, I have not thought to ask, and I realize I should have. Do you have other... ah, loved ones that you are missing... A... a mate, perhaps?"

Sam stared at him. "A _mate_? You're asking me if I'm involved with someone? Like if I have a boyfriend?"

"Um, yes." Martouf looked embarrassed. "I apologize, it is not my place to ask."

She snorted. "When would I have the time to find someone? I spend all my time at the base, surrounded by people I'm not _allowed_ to date! Working with stuff I'm not allowed to tell anyone _outside_ the base about!"

"I see," Martouf said, managing to look both apologetic and pleased at the same time.

Sam calmed down. "Sorry, it's okay. I don't mind you asking. I can see it's a legitimate question. If mean, if I _did_ have someone that got left behind, 12 years ago, then that would certainly have been something that would affect me. At least I don't have _that_ to deal with." She sighed. "To be honest, I don't think any of my team members do either. What about you? No Tok'ra girlfriend?"

"No," Martouf answered.

"I'm sorry. You and Jolinar were together for a long time. I can understand why you wouldn't just... find another immediately."

Martouf nodded, sombrely. "Lantash and I have grieved for her and Rosha. We will always remember them, but while the knowledge that they are dead is still painful, we are now able to focus on the fond memories of them we have."

"That's good." Sam smiled, reaching out and giving his arm a squeeze.

"Yes, and we feel that we are now ready to truly live again, and to love again. Samantha, we have become very fond..." Martouf began.

"Ah, there you are! Hi, guys!"

Martouf/Lantash and Sam turned to see Daniel walking towards them.

"Hi, Daniel," Sam said.

"The farmer's wife... Jane, she says they've got so much food for their Christmas Dinner, that there's more than enough for us. Apparently, she and her sister had miscommunicated, and the sister thought _she_ should bring the turkey! They've also got stuffings and side dishes, and who knows what... enough for three times as many people as they are. Anyway, Jane offers that we can have one of the turkeys, with all the various potatoes and vegetables and gravy that we want. We just need to come and get it in the kitchen."

"Wow, that's _really_ nice of her!" Sam exclaimed.

"I agree. We are most fortunate to have met these people." Martouf smiled.


	7. Strange Discoveries

"Well, Merry Christmas, everyone!" O'Neill grinned, and took a drink from one of the beers they had gotten as well.

Martouf looked out over the table, at the many different dishes. "I recognize the 'turkey' as some sort of large fowl, and some of the vegetables and tubers are... fairly familiar to me as well, but I would appreciate it if someone would tell me what the rest is? What is this, for instance?" He pointed at a bowl.

"That's just mashed potatoes," Daniel told him. "Do you know what potatoes are?"

Martouf nodded. "Yes, we call them _pah'pas_. They are eaten on many worlds. I have never seen them eaten mashed before, though."

"Try it, then. Maybe you'll like it?" Sam said. "Anyway, that one there is some sort of sweet potato casserole, and then there are various types of relish... that one at least is cranberry..." She pointed.

"I will try a little from each of them, thank you. This is a traditional Tau'ri Christmas dinner?" Martouf asked.

"More or less. The food is pretty traditional," Daniel said. "At least for this country."

"Way more than what I'm used to, that's for sure." O'Neill looked happy, shovelling more food onto his plate.

"Me too, actually." Sam grinned at Jacob. "Except last time, when we went to Mark's place - they sure had gone all out on the traditional Christmas front!"

Jacob nodded. "They _had_ spent a bit more effort on it than what I'm used to, but then Mark has a family."

"We never celebrated like that, dad, and you know it!" Sam told him, but she did not look angry.

"True, I guess." Jacob shrugged.

"I am very grateful for this opportunity to learn about Tau'ri culture," Martouf said.

"It's too bad we don't have a Christmas tree," Daniel told him. "Though that is actually not a very old tradition. It stems from..."

"Ah... _no_ , Daniel! No history lessons tonight!" O'Neill admonished. "Besides, our hosts have a Christmas tree in the house. You can look at _that_ the next time we're in there."

"I will. Thank you, O'Neill," Martouf said, sounding very interested in it all.

Sam laughed. "You know, Martouf, if you'd like to experience a traditional Christmas, then we can do that next year - with food, tree, ornaments, and gifts. I don't usually spend much time and effort on it, if I'm on my own, but I guess I can do it as... ah, an educational experience for you and any other Tok'ra that might be interested."

"I would like that, a _lot_. Thank you, Samantha." He smiled.

"Then we'll do that next Christmas - that should be enough time to solve the current mess we find ourselves in." She sighed.

"Yeah, let's not think about that tonight," Jacob said. "Cheers, everyone! Merry Christmas!"

* * *

The next day they started the work of picking the farmer's fruit. There was a _lot_ of trees, and it was soon clear that it would easily take them a week to finish the work, even if they worked long days.

Fortunately, the weather was still fairly nice, and they were all in good shape, so the work progressed nicely and the farmer was pleased.

By now, Sam's leg had healed almost completely. Except for some lingering soreness which she expected to pass soon, she was not troubled by it at all.

* * *

"Sure you don't want any more of the stew?" Jane asked.

"It was delicious, but no, I think we're full." Jacob looked around at the others, who all nodded.

It had been three days, and they had finished picking the persimmons. Tomorrow they would start on the oranges. There were somewhat more orange trees, but they expected to be able to finish on time without problems.

"I was thinking of taking some of the persimmons to the marketplace tomorrow, where a friend of mine has a fruit stand. I'd need some help loading and unloading..."

"We would be happy to help with that," O'Neill told him.

"It'd be fairly early in the morning that we have to leave - very early, in fact, since he needs to get the fruit in time to set some of it up before the market opens. We'd have to leave here before 3 AM."

"That's not a problem," Jacob assured him. "We're all used to getting up at all times of the day - and night."

"Great!" O'Reilly smiled, relieved. "Thanks, guys."

* * *

They were about to go back to the barn, to get some sleep before the nights work, and were standing in the hall when Martouf froze. He frowned and looked through the nearest door, then back at Jacob who were a few steps behind him.

"Do you sense it?" Martouf asked.

Jacob took a couple more steps, then stopped. A moment after he nodded slowly. "Yes."

"What's going on?" O'Neill wondered.

"Naquadah," Martouf said, in a low voice.

" _Naquadah_!" O'Neill exclaimed, disbelief in his voice. "Where? _How_?"

"I am not sure..." Martouf went through the door and looked around.

"Wait... Martouf..." Sam said, not sure how their hosts would react to them walking around the house like that. She hurried after him, through the corridor and into a room some distance away. She could hear a voice speaking. By then she felt the naquadah signature too, though she had a hard time distinguishing it from the one from Lantash.

"I apologize, Mrs. O'Reilly," Martouf said, seeing her sitting at a desk. Before her sat some kind of small device, with a holographic figure of a young man being projected from it. The image had been speaking, but it was obviously on standby right now. "I... thought I heard... ah, someone... call my name. Obviously, I was mistaken."

"Oh. Well, that's quite all right." She smiled. "I was just listening to a message my son has sent. It's really a marvelous technology, those holo-letters, don't you think?"

"I... suppose it is," Martouf said.

"Wow!" Sam exclaimed. "Is that holo-technology? It looks like that thing you guys used for the inventory of... ah, some of our enemies," she finished, realizing she had been about to talk about the Tok'ra holographic inventory of Goa'uld System Lords that her father had brought when they were looking for Seth.

"I believe it is the same technology, yes," Martouf agreed.

"You didn't know about the holo-letters? It's been in all the news... though I guess you've had other things on your mind," Jane realized. "In any case, it's gotten very popular, and while it's a bit frivolous, I guess, it's also really nice. Getting to see and hear your loved one like this, even if they're far away, you know."

"Absolutely. So these are for sale in the stores?" Sam asked. "When did that happen?"

Jane told them what she knew about the holo-letters. Apparently, they had started being sold about a year ago, and had almost instantly become very popular, especially since they were also fairly cheap, and could be reused as often as one wanted.

* * *

"So you're certain it's Goa'uld technology?" O'Neill asked.

"Yes, very certain," Martouf said.

"Well, if it's naquadah-powered, then what else could it be?" Daniel pointed out.

"Meaning Goa'uld are selling those things here on Earth? Or what?" O'Neill wondered. "That's not really their M.O. is it?"

"No, and I don't think it's Goa'uld selling it here. It's probably something based on the holographic projector you brought to Earth, dad - you know, with information about the System Lords?" Sam said.

"When we were looking for Seth. Yes." Jacob agreed. "That's possible."

Martouf shook his head. "No, you didn't see it, Jacob. This device was not _based_ on Goa'uld technology, it _was_ Goa'uld technology."

"Or Tok'ra technology," Sam added.

"Yes, I suppose. However, it was not adjusted to resemble the technology of this world at all."

"That may be the allure of it? It's made to look different on purpose?" Daniel suggested. " _Exotic_?"

"Or the NID are selling Goa'uld technology, stolen or bought off-world," Sam said. "This could be very bad."

"In any case, it means Stargate Command - or someone - is no longer as dedicated to keeping alien technology secret," O'Neill concluded. "I agree it could signify something sinister, but I suppose they may just have decided 'why the hell not?' It's not like humans would _know_ it was alien."

"Maybe. In any case, we should watch out for any other signs that may point to the NID - or some other organization," Jacob decided.

* * *

"That was the last crate, right?" O'Neill asked.

"Yep. Now, if one of you drive that truck, I'll take the other, and then we'll get this over with in no time," O'Reilly said.

"Okay," O'Neill told them. "That'll be me. The rest of you can go get a couple hours of sleep more. It's not even 3 AM yet."

"Listen..." O'Reilly seemed to think it over. "It would probably be a good idea if a couple more went - both to help unload, and so no one has to be alone in the truck."

"Sure." Sam shrugged. "I'll come too."

"As will I," Teal'c told them.

"I shall accompany you as well," Martouf said.

"Well, then you've got more than enough people," Jacob decided. "Come on, Daniel. Let's head back to our beds."

"You'll get no argument from me!" Daniel told him, yawning mightily.


	8. An Unpleasant Surprise

The trucks were large enough to seat three people at the front, so O'Neill, Teal'c, and O'Reilly entered one of them, and Sam and Martouf/Lantash took the other.

"You must fasten the seat belt before we drive," Sam told Martouf/Lantash.

"Seat belt?"

"Like this." Sam touched her own belt. "It's to stop you from flying through the windshield - the front window of the truck - if we're in an accident or otherwise have to brake really hard."

"Very sensible, if that is a likely hazard." Martouf frowned. "This truck sounds very dangerous. How likely is it to crash?" He searched around for the seat belt for a moment, then found it. "Okay." He pulled on it, and it lengthened. "Ah, I see."

"Relax. It happen very rarely - and in a place like this, at this time of night, there's probably very few other cars. We'll be just fine."

"All right." He nodded. "How did you fasten the belt?"

"There's a buckle you push the metal tongue into, until it clicks. It should be..."

"I see it. Thank you." Martouf located it, and buckled the belt after a few tries.

They heard a honking from the other truck.

"Okay. Let's get going then. Sounds like the Colonel is getting impatient." Sam started the truck, and they sped out on the road after the others.

"Careful!" Martouf exclaimed, grabbing hold of the car seat and clinging to it. "You are moving at an unsafe speed!"

Sam grinned. "As I said, _relax_. You'll be fine." She pressed down on the speeder and the small truck increased its velocity. "We don't want to get behind, do we?"

"I thought you told me this vehicle could not fly! Why then are you attempting to make it leave the ground?" Martouf complained, closing his eyes.

Lantash was yelling at him to open them again - so they could look death in the face when they crashed. Which seemed imminent.

This was going to be a long journey.

* * *

They had delivered the persimmons to O'Reilly's friend, and had just started on the way back. It was close to 5 AM, but still completely dark. The roads were deserted, except for themselves.

"What did you mean when you said you did not want anyone to be alone in a truck?" O'Neill asked.

"There have been... attacks. The area is not as safe as it has been," O'Reilly explained.

" _Attacks_? What do you mean?" O'Neill wondered.

O'Reilly sighed. "It started a couple years ago. I mean, the drug wars have been moving north for a while, but it usually didn't affect regular folks, at least not this far north. However, there's been robberies recently. Ambushes. Ordinary people, who haven't been involved in anything criminal are being mugged. Their cars stopped, and everything of value taken. People have sometimes been beaten up. There's even been kidnappings - and one or two murders."

"What?!" O'Neill looked at him with disbelief. "How could it have changed that much? I mean, we haven't been... out of the country for _that_ long!"

O'Reilly shrugged. "It's probably gang related... even though there are conspiracy theories, of course."

"And what does those theories say?" O'Neill wondered.

"That it's all a deliberate scheme to make people feel unsafe. That the criminals are being paid or even directly controlled by someone higher up."

"What _possible_ reason could anyone have for that!"

"Well, it's what people say." He shrugged. "I don't know if I believe it. Probably not. Still, there's this guy... a powerful businessman. He's going to run for president, and he's promising to take care of the crime. People believe him. He's got a lot of support... and money. There are those who say he is using some of his wealth to fund the criminals, so the scared people will be more likely to vote for him."

"It is a cunning plan," Teal'c said. "But also dishonourable."

O'Neill snorted. "Politicians and honour are mutually exclusive, Teal'c!" He slowed their speed. "What's that sign? I didn't see it before. Ah, traffic diverted due to an accident..."

"I sure hope they're okay. I know most people who'd drive on this stretch of road - at least at this time of night," O'Reilly said, sounding concerned.

They turned off the main road and followed the detour, as did Sam and the others in the truck behind them. The road passed through a fairly dense forest, and they had not driven far before a tree suddenly fell in front of them.

O'Neill stepped on the brake, and managed to stop before hitting the tree. Fortunately, they had not been going very fast, and Sam was equally quick to react, so the other truck did not hit the first.

The trucks had barely stopped, before several armed men appeared ahead and behind them.

"Ah, crap!" O'Neill exclaimed. "An ambush!"

* * *

Sam, Martouf/Lantash, Teal'c, O'Neill, and O'Reilly were surrounded by the men that had stopped them, and were now ordered out of the trucks.

The attackers were a dangerous looking group, consisting of nine people. The leader was a huge, red-haired man. He caressed the handle of the big knife he was holding, before addressing first his men, then the captives.

"See what you can find - in their pockets too!" He smirked. "I'm sure you're aware of the foolishness of attempting to resist. Just relax, and let us take what we want, and then this'll be over in no time, and we can all get on with our lives!"

O'Neill looked at the enemies, considering if they would be able to take them.

O'Reilly apparently noticed, because he shook his head, and spoke in a low voice. "Don't. I know you've been in dangerous situations before, but they've got guns and knives - and we don't have any weapons."

"You should listen to him," the red-haired man said, as some of his people started searching the trucks, while others checked the pockets of their prisoners. Three of them stood nearby, keeping weapons trained on them.

One of the men leered, taking the chance to fondle Sam as he checked if she carried anything valuable. "Hey, boss? What do you say we take this one?"

"Yeah, she'll probably bring in a nice sum - even _after_ we're done with her," one of the other men said, looking up from where he was going through Martouf's pockets.

"You keep your hands off me!" Sam exclaimed, suddenly elbowing the man that had been fondling her in the solar plexus, making him crunch over in pain.

Lantash took control, his eyes flashing. He half-turned, grabbing the man standing near him. He spoke, thankfully remembering to hide the distortion,"How _dare_ you threaten Samantha!"

He had the man disarmed and lying on the ground in seconds. When the criminal reached for the knife in his belt, Lantash shot him with the gun he had taken from him, happy he had learned how to use a weapon like that on a previous mission with SG-1.

Sam had snatched the knife from the man that had been groping her, and they were currently fighting over it.

The others took advantage of the commotion caused by Sam and Lantash, and attacked the rest of the thugs while they were confused. Surprisingly enough, none of the criminals tried to flee, but fought hard, almost viciously, to the end.

It did not take Sam, O'Neill, and the others long to win, though. Less than 2 minutes later, the last one of their attackers fell to the ground, dead, after Lantash had broken his neck.

O'Reilly stood nearby, looking thoughtfully at the scenery. "That was... very efficient. You certainly have gotten both skill and experience on that... _mission_ you were on."

"They fought quite fiercely, but their skills were no match for us," Teal'c insisted, quickly pulling his cap down again, so it covered his forehead tattoo. It had crawled up as he fought.

"I am surprised none of them attempted to escape, or surrender," Lantash said. "Their behaviour does not seem consistent with common criminals." He suddenly thought he heard a rustling of leaves behind him. Turning, he saw, just for a moment, a pair of glowing red eyes in the undergrowth. They were gone so quickly he wondered if he had even seen them.

"I agree." O'Neill frowned. "There's no way it should have been necessary to even knock all of them out, much less kill them."

"They also seemed more aggressive than normal." Sam knitted her brows. "Do you think they were on drugs, or something?"

"Who knows," O'Reilly said. "I've heard rumours... that the gang members that attack people are very aggressive... but I don't know of anyone who's actually fought them and lived to tell, so I don't know." He looked at Lantash, noticing the blood splatter from the man he had shot earlier. He grabbed a bottle of water and a piece of cloth from the truck, and handed them to Lantash. "You had better clean up a little, in case we run into... regular folks."

"I agree. Thank you," Lantash said, using Martouf's voice. He accepted the water and the cloth, and began cleaning up.

"Maybe they're just really afraid of their leader," O'Neill suggested, slowly. "You mentioned that guy... the businessman, the one that wants to be president, and that he's the one responsible for the attacks."

"What?" Sam asked, disbelief in her voice.

"It's just a rumour. I don't know if it's the truth," O'Reilly reminded O'Neill.

"That sounds insane!" Sam said.

"Listen, let's talk about it later, okay? We need to figure out what to do with these dead bodies, and then get out of here. I suppose we should contact the police." O'Neill looked less than pleased at the thought.

None of them had any identification papers, and no one knew they were even alive. It was bound to cause a lot of problems, especially since the police were unlikely to just believe some random strangers, when they reported they had been attacked by nine criminals - and then had killed them, without getting as much as a scratch themselves.

"Well, no need to contact the police. They're... well, I think they've been infiltrated by some of the same criminals. We'll just bury them in the hill," O'Reilly said.

* * *

After disposing of the bodies, they had all returned to O'Reilly's farm. The journey back had passed in silence, and O'Reilly were clearly almost as affected by the attack, as he was by the fact that the people he had hired to work for him were extremely efficient killers.

However, all things considered, he decided they were trustworthy, and no danger to him or his wife, and he let them stay.

Sam, O'Neill, Martouf/Lantash, and Teal'c returned to the barn where Daniel and Jacob/Selmak were still sleeping. They had originally intended to catch a few hours of sleep before starting the days work, but now they instead woke up the others, and discussed all that had happened.

"It sounds insane!" Jacob said. "Like a bad novel! A businessman that hires criminals to make people feel unsafe, with the intention of getting elected by promising them security!"

"I agree, but I don't have a better explanation," O'Neill answered, slowly shaking his head.

"Could it be related to the NID? I mean, there's also the selling of Goa'uld technology on Earth... naquadah powered technology. I can't believe that's something that would normally be officially sanctioned, so it's obvious _someone_ is up to something nefarious," Daniel said.

"Especially considering what has happened at Stargate Command... people being fired or reassigned..." Sam reminded them.

Jacob nodded. "It's possible. There's no way to know, without more information."

"There is something else..." Martouf said. "When we had fought the attackers, and they lay dead, I had the feeling that someone was watching us, and I even thought I heard something move in the bushes nearby. However, when I turned around, all I saw was what I think must have been the eyes of an animal. They shone red."

"I agree." Teal'c added. "I had the same experience. Perhaps a large animal was watching... a predator, maybe?"

"It's possible, but as long as it wasn't human, I think we're good," Jacob told them.

"One thing's for sure - we have to be careful, and we can't risk contacting anyone, unless we're _absolutely_ sure they can be trusted," O'Neill said. "Our first item on the agenda is to get some information about what is going on!"


	9. Developments

Sam and Martouf lifted the crate up and placed it on top of another crate, before going to pick up the next. This was the day's harvest of oranges, that were being prepared to be shipped out the next morning.

Daniel and O'Neill carried another crate over to the ones needing to be stacked. O'Neill yawned and stretched. "That was all of them. Do you guys think you can stack the last ones, or do you want help?"

"No, we're fine, sir. Go help Dad and Teal'c put away the ladders and stuff, so we can go to dinner soon," Sam said.

"Dinner!" O'Neill patted his growling stomach. "This work sure makes you hungry!"

"It does indeed," Martouf agreed.

"Okay, see you." Daniel waved and left with O'Neill.

Sam and Martouf continued stacking crates for a little longer, but soon finished the job.

"Finally!" Sam said, stretching her back. She walked over to the sink by the wall, and started washing the dirt from the day's work off her hands and face.

"This work does remind you of the existence of a great many muscle-groups you do not normally pay attention to," Martouf observed.

Sam grinned. "Yeah, my back and shoulders hurt too." She stepped aside so Martouf could wash his hands.

Martouf nodded. "Fortunately for me, Lantash will quickly repair the damage and take care of the soreness. Of course, he can start right over again tomorrow."

"I'm still envious!" Sam smiled, and went to pick up an orange, which she started to peel.

"Are you sure we are allowed to take some of the fruit?"

"Yes, O'Reilly said so. 'Eat all you want' - that's what he said." She ate a couple slices. "It's very sweet and juicy."

"It does look very appealing." Martouf looked hungrily at the orange.

"Do you want some?" She held the remaining half orange out to him.

"In a moment." He held up his soapy hands.

"Of course." Sam grinned. "Or... I could feed you." She held out a slice of orange. "Here?"

"Thank you." Martouf smiled, and let her put the piece of orange in his mouth. He chewed and swallowed. "You are correct. It is very good." He finished cleaning his hands.

"More?" Sam teasingly held out another slice.

"With pleasure!" He leaned forward with a glint in his eyes, and took the offered fruit with his mouth.

"Here, then!" Sam laughed, and fed him the rest of the orange, one slice at a time.

"Thank you - that was very... _refreshing_." He smiled his cute, charming smile, and took her hands. "Samantha." His expression became serious, and he sighed. "I am grateful we managed to overpower those attackers yesterday. When they indicated a wish to abduct you... Lantash and I felt both anger and fear..."

"Well, I can't say I liked the idea either!" Sam told him, then smiled. "Though I assure you they would have regretted it, had they kidnapped me!"

"Of that I have no doubt. You are a skillful warrior, and very intelligent," Martouf said. "Still, we felt... fear. The thought that someone would harm you was not a pleasant one." He entwined his fingers with hers, and pulled her a little closer. "Samantha... Lantash and I have become very fond of you."

"Ah... um, thanks." She smiled, a little unsure how to take that. "I'm very fond of you too... and I always enjoy your company. I consider you... well, a good friend, I guess. There are some things I can talk to you about, which no one else would understand."

He nodded. "I am pleased." He looked down for a moment, then up at her again, a shy expression on his face. "Lantash and I also consider you a friend, Samantha." He took a deep breath. "We must admit, though, that our feelings for you have become stronger than that."

"Because of what I carry from Jolinar," Sam said.

Martouf shook his head. "No. It is true that was what called to us in the beginning, but that is no longer the reason. Samantha, what we feel... it is for _you_. You are kind, intelligent, and forgiving - both a warrior and a scientist on your world. You are also very beautiful. How can we _not_ fall for you?"

"I... I am flattered. Really, I am."

"But you do not feel for us, like we do for you." Martouf looked hurt. He let go of her hands and started to walk away. "I am a fool. I should not have..."

"Wait! Martouf... I didn't say that..." She grabbed his hands again and squeezed them. "To be honest... I don't really know _what_ I feel... or rather if it's really _me_ who feels it." She shook her head. "I'm sorry. Jolinar's feelings and memories are confusing me. I _do_ feel for you. Very strongly in fact... I'm just not sure if it's really _my_ feelings. Or even if I'll _ever_ be able to tell!"

"I understand, but if you cannot tell if these emotions are your own or not, does it truly matter?"

"Well..." Sam hesitated. "How would you feel if your feelings for Jolinar had been forced upon you from someone else?" She shook her head. "Sorry, _forced_ is maybe not the right word... I don't think Jolinar really meant for this to happen, but still?"

"Actually, when I became Lantash's host, he had already been in a relationship with Jolinar for many years. After blending, our emotions synchronized, and when I met Jolinar months later, I already loved her."

"You... um, sort of inherited your feelings for her?"

"I suppose you could say that, though 'came to share Lantash's feelings' would probably be a better description. It is quite common amongst the Tok'ra."

Sam nodded. "Now you mention it... I think I remember that. So... in a way, it was the same for you. Well, partly, at least - you have Lantash to help you with those feelings." She sighed. "Anyway, I think I do need to figure out how I feel. Maybe... maybe spending more time with you, like we are now, will help." She gave him a small smile.

"Then that is what Lantash and I shall hope for." He smiled at her, getting a hopeful expression. "Do you think, perhaps, a kiss would help you with this confusion?"

Sam laughed. "Yeah - it will probably make me _more_ confused! Sneaky bastard!" She gave him a small, playful push, then shook her head. "It's probably not a good idea, but to be honest... I'd like that!" She put a hand on his shoulder, and stepped closer, licking her lips a little nervously. "I'd like that a lot." She looked at his lips, then into his pale blue-grey eyes, which had first widened in surprise, then quickly became half-lidded.

Martouf gently brushed his fingers over her cheek, then softly touched his lips to hers. Sam closed her eyes for a moment and smiled, just enjoying the sensation, before leaning into him and returning the kiss. Martouf put his arms around her and slowly moved his lips against hers, savoring the feeling of kissing her.

Sam made a small sound and had just leaned in to deepen the kiss, when someone spoke. They let go of each other and turned, to see Daniel standing in the door.

"Um, I... they sent me to see what was keeping you. Uh, dinner's ready."

* * *

The next couple of days passed without incident, and they began to relax. Apparently, the police had either not been informed that the people that had attacked Sam and the others had been killed, or they did not feel like investigating, for one reason or another.

Sam, O'Neill, and Martouf/Lantash had carried a few baskets of oranges into the house, since O'Reilly's wife, Jane, wanted to make marmalade.

On the way out, they threw a look through the open door, at the television that was currently showing some sort of news program. Hoping they would learn something useful about how the world had changed, they stayed for a little while, following the program.

Martouf suddenly gasped, when the next news item came up on the screen. "That's _Ba'al_!" he exclaimed.

"Ba'al?" Sam asked. "Do you mean the..."

Before Sam could finish her question, or Martouf could answer anything, O'Reilly spoke up, "Yeah, that's the guy I told you about the other night, O'Neill."

"The businessman that wants to be president?" O'Neill wondered.

"Yep."

"You've seen him before?" O'Neill asked Martouf in a low voice, surprised.

"Yes... I'll explain later," Martouf said, keeping his voice down as well.

O'Neill nodded, realizing it was something he could not mention in front of O'Reilly. "Okay. Let's watch this before we go anywhere."

* * *

"Okay," O'Neill said, when they were back in the barn. "Let's hear it, Martouf. How come you think you know who some _Earth_ businessman is?"

"Unless that _businessman_ looks _exactly_ like Ba'al, then he is not from your world" Martouf explained.

"Wait... you mean the one that we found out has become the new Supreme System Lord?" O'Neill asked.

"Yes," Martouf confirmed.

O'Neill groaned. "A Goa'uld System Lord! On Earth!"

"And not just anyone! The _Supreme_ System Lord." Jacob looked unhappy. "This is bad."

"That... might explain the Goa'uld technology someone's been selling," Sam said.

"But what would he want to do here? And more importantly, how did he _get_ here!" Daniel asked. "If he really is Ba'al, the System Lord."

"Since he even _calls_ himself Ba'al, I think we can assume he is," Martouf said.

Jacob nodded. "I agree."

"He could have come on a spaceship," Teal'c suggested.

"Or through the Stargate," Jacob added.

"You really think this Ba'al has infiltrated Stargate Command?" Sam wondered, disbelieving.

"I realize it's a stretch, but it _might_ have happened. Seeing as if things are not as they should be there, we shouldn't discount the possibility," Jacob said.

"As much as I hate the idea, I'm afraid I'll have to agree with Jacob." O'Neill sighed. "In any case, we'll have to be extra careful if there's a Goa'uld loose on Earth!"


	10. An Attack With Long-lasting Consequences

They kept working for O'Reilly for many more days - much longer than the one week originally agreed on - picking the rest of the oranges and persimmons, and then helping out with various other minor jobs that needed doing on the farm. It would seem there was a lot that was overdue for repairs.

When they had finished, they left, still with the intent of going towards Colorado Springs and Stargate Command, to attempt to find out what was going on.

However, they had decided they needed to be even more careful than previously, despite the fact that no one thought they were even alive - that was how they wanted them to continue thinking, at least for a while longer.

"We've got almost $2000. Even after paying for extra socks and underwear and stuff - and food - it's more than enough to get us all to Colorado Springs, if we ride the Greyhound buses," O'Neill told them. "I called them, and they said it was $148 per person for the trip from Sacramento to Colorado Springs."

"That's great," Daniel said. "Of course, we first need to _get_ to Sacramento, or some other large city where the Greyhound's stop."

"Isn't Fresno closer?" Sam asked. "I checked the map, and it looks like it's quite a bit closer."

"It's also $50 more expensive per person, which we can't afford if we wanna eat - or take a bus some of the way to the Greyhound stop," O'Neill said.

Daniel grumbled. "Damn... why didn't we just bring some of all that gold you guys said there was on the teltac!"

"Because a certain _someone_ decided to go crazy, run off, and send us all on a trip through time and space... using an alien doughnut... or have you forgotten?" O'Neill snorted.

Jacob just grinned. "Exercise is good for you - or so Selmak claims, at least."

It was early morning, and they were slowly walking along the road, in the direction of the nearest place they could get a bus to Sacramento - or in that direction at least, as they were quite some distance from that city.

* * *

The Sun had set, and the only light came from the waxing gibbous moon, which cast a silvery sheen over the forest they were currently walking through. It was fairly cloudy, and now and then the light from the moon dimmed, as a wispy cloud passed over it.

"Perhaps we should have stayed in that small city we passed through an hour ago... 'Misty Willows', or whatever it was called... We could go back there now," Daniel said, looking uncomfortably around him. "This forest seems to be getting denser... and colder too."

"There weren't any places we could stay back there, and it's not that cold. We've slept outside before, under worse conditions. We've got blankets and we'll make a fire. We'll continue," O'Neill decided. "It can't be much longer before we're through the forest anyway."

Martouf suddenly stopped and stood as if listening. "Are there dangerous animals here? I thought I heard..."

"Now don't you start _too_!" O'Neill exclaimed. "There's nothing to be afraid of here!"

"Well, there _are_ wild animals in California. Bears and mountain lions among others," Jacob said.

"I believe it sounded like a wolf," Martouf told them.

"There _are_ no wolves in the state, and this isn't a typical area for either bears or mountain lions! Or rattlers... that's _rattlesnakes_ \- and they're asleep for the winter anyway. I suppose there could be coyotes, but I doubt it, and one of those certainly wouldn't attack all of us! Besides, you've got that zat of yours, Teal'c's got a staff, Jacob has one of the knives we got from those men that ambushed us, and Carter and I both kept a gun, so we should be good."

Martouf nodded, but did not look convinced. "Understood."

* * *

It was, perhaps, an hour later, when they all heard it.

" _That's_ a wolf howl!" Daniel insisted.

"There shouldn't _be_ any wolves here!" O'Neill said.

"Maybe there are now. It's been 12 years - maybe they wandered in from somewhere else?" Sam suggested, looking around her.

They heard another howl.

"Definitely wolves," Jacob observed.

"Well..." O'Neill hesitated. "They don't usually attack humans unless it's been a very cold winter with little food to find - and that can't be said to be the case here, so I still think we're safe. Besides, we've walked through this forest for several hours, and I didn't notice any really big forests when I looked on the map, so we've got to be through it soon."

They continued walking, now and then hearing the wolves. It was clear they were coming closer, and fast.

The moon was still fairly high in the sky, and cast enough light to see by, but the clouds had become denser, and now regularly obscured the moon.

A particularly large and massive cloud passed over the moon, throwing the forest into darkness. They heard a crack as if someone stepped on a dry branch, and _something_ jumped out from the thick undergrowth, blocking their passage ahead.

A pair of red eyes glowed in the darkness, and the creature in front of them _growled_.

"What the _fuck_!" O'Neill exclaimed, taking several steps back. He pulled out his gun and fired in the direction of the growl and the red eyes, but did not hit anything.

Martouf's eyes flashed a very obvious golden-yellow in the darkness, as Lantash took over control and raised the zat'nik'tel, firing at the unknown lifeform before them, aiming at the place where he had seen the red eyes a moment before. The blue light from the weapon's discharge hit the creature, and played over it, revealing briefly a shape that was on four legs, but seemed humanoid.

It cried out, and growled loudly, but did not grow quiet.

Lantash did not have time to consider whether to fire at it again or not, before another growl was heard from behind them, followed by a scream.

"Daniel?" Sam yelled.

The moon appeared from behind the cloud, and in the silvery light they saw several shapes, surrounding them on all sides. The creatures looked mostly human, but their faces were different, with very pronounced brow ridges. They also had pointed ears and large fangs. Their eyes glowed red.

One of them jumped at Teal'c, and he raised the large staff he had found at the gas station weeks ago. The creature was strong, but Teal'c was very skilled with the staff, keeping it at a distance.

Lantash fired as quickly as possible at the beings, but the shots from his zat'nik'tel only stunned them briefly. It did, however, make their appearance change, as if they reverted to humans for an instant.

"Shoot them again! _Kill_ the cursed things!" O'Neill yelled, firing at another of their attackers.

"I'm trying!" Lantash shouted back, turning quickly to shoot at another one of the creatures before it reached him.

Sam fired at one of the beings as well, hitting it, but that only showed it down a little. It would have jumped her, had Selmak not buried her knife in its throat, making it stumble and fall, clawing at the knife.

The fight continued for several minutes, before the beings suddenly turned and ran away, disappearing as quickly and as silently as they had appeared. None of them were too injured to run, clearly.

"What in the name of Netu was that?" Jacob asked, after Selmak had given him control again.

"Unknown," Teal'c said, looking with concern in the direction the creatures had left.

"I shot all of them at least once," Lantash exclaimed. "Some of them twice, even if there were some time in between. They were only somewhat slowed down by the first shot, and the second seemed to just have the effect _one_ shot normally has. It did have another effect, though. Their appearance changed, momentarily, becoming human. I have never heard of any lifeforms such as these! Are they common on your world?"

"Of course not! What did you think? I've never even _heard_ about something like that!" O'Neill said, angrily, then hesitated. "Where is Daniel? Crap! Carter, he was walking behind you!"

"I... haven't seem him since we were attacked." She looked around. "I heard him scream... oh, no. We need to find him! Immediately!"

"This way - I hear someone moan," Lantash told them.

* * *

"Daniel!" Sam exclaimed, falling to her knees beside her teammate and friend.

He moaned and tried to sit up. Sam and Lantash helped him. O'Neill crouched down beside them, turning on a flashlight he had fished out of his backpack.

"Are you hurt, Daniel?"

Daniel winced as he moved his arm. "In the shoulder... I don't know exactly what he hit me with, but it hurts like hell. Otherwise I'm okay, I think. Mostly."

"Let me take a look at it," O'Neill said, shining some light on the injured area. The jacket and the shirt under it was torn, and there was some blood. "Looks like... I don't know... it's not a knife wound." He shook his head. "It looks like a _bite_ actually!"

"A _bite_?!" Jacob asked, disbelief in his voice.

Teal'c leaned closer to take a look. "That is a bite," he confirmed.

"A bite? What _were_ those things!" Sam exclaimed, quickly looking around, suddenly afraid they would be ambushed again. "I mean... they were humanoid, but they had big _fangs_... and those glowing red eyes... and claws."

"Werewolves," Daniel said.

" _Werewolves_?" O'Neill scoffed. "Come on! You don't mean that!"

"Do you have a better explanation?" Daniel asked.

"Let's get that wound cleaned and bandaged - and then we had better get out of here," Jacob said.

"What are werewolves?" Lantash asked.

* * *

"Did you not say werewolves were a myth?" Teal'c asked, when Daniel had ended his explanation.

"They _are_! Or they're supposed to be," Daniel said.

"I don't know what those... _things_ we ran into were, but they do seem to fit your description of werewolves pretty nicely," Jacob observed. "They were _fast_ , faster even than a blended human... and stronger as well."

They were all back on their feet, hurrying on through the dark forest, very much on guard for more of the creatures that had attacked them earlier. Nothing happened, though, and it was almost two hours later when they exited the forest, all feeling very relieved.

Daniel's shoulder hurt, and while the wound had not bled much, the bite looked deep. They had decided it was probably better to find a doctor and have them take a look at it, so it did not get infected.

"Why would they attack us? To _eat_ us?" Sam wondered.

"Those red eyes... that's what I think I saw before, when we had killed the men that ambushed us in the trucks," Martouf said. "It was only for a moment, but I'm certain of it now."

"So... whatever they are, they may have been observing us... and decided they had to get rid of us. _Wonderful_!" O'Neill snorted. "As if discovering a damn Goa'uld is trying to take over this country wasn't enough! Now we've got _werewolves_ on our asses, too!"


	11. Myth and Reality

They had found a shed where they had spent the rest of the night. After eating what was left of the sandwiches they had bought in the last village they passed through, they continued their journey. According to the road sign, there was a city up ahead. Hopefully, it would be large enough to have a doctor's clinic.

"I can't believe werewolves are real! I mean _how_ can they be real? They're supposed to be mythological. Supernatural!" O'Neill exclaimed.

"If they exist, they are _not_ supernatural," Sam insisted. "Perhaps it's some sort of mutation? Or an alien species? A _virus_ , perhaps?"

"It's not something the Tok'ra have ever heard of," Jacob said. "I guess it could be something that's natural to Earth, even if we haven't met them before. I mean, maybe those myths have some basis in reality."

"Could we _not_ talk about werewolves?" Daniel sounded testy. "You do know how people become a werewolf, right? By being bitten. _I_ was bitten!"

"Relax, Daniel. I'm sure that part is just a myth. Right?" O'Neill asked.

"What if it's not?" Daniel looked unhappily at him.

"Well, have you felt the urge to howl at the moon or tear any of us to shreds?" Sam tried to keep his mood up.

"It's daytime, and no, I haven't." Daniel sighed. "I do imagine my hearing is better, though... and my sense of smell, I think. I mean, I keep hearing sounds, but when I look around, I realize it must be something further away."

"Hallucinations, perhaps? I mean... it could be caused by the shock from being bitten. Don't you think?" Sam suggested.

"Or you're just imagining it," O'Neill insisted. "Come on - let's get a doctor to check you out, and then you'll be just fine!"

* * *

"So the doctor confirmed it looked like an animal bite?" O'Neill asked.

"Yeah... and he gave me a tetanus shot and a rabies shot." Daniel looked unhappy. "I need four more injections over the next 14 days, so we'll have to get to a doctor regularly... and probably use up all our money this way!"

"Well... it's not really likely that creature had rabies, do you think?" O'Neill said. "I mean, it wasn't a real wolf, but a werewolf..."

"And you think I should have told the doc that?" Daniel snorted. "He'd probably have had me locked up for insanity!"

"Okay, okay... I understand." O'Neill sighed. "What about those other... _symptoms_? The increased hearing and smell... and such?"

"He said it was probably just my imagination... due to shock." Daniel grumbled. "It's real you know... and you could do with a bath, Jack!"

"Funny!" O'Neill snorted.

* * *

It was near evening the day after. They had found an old barn where they could stay, which would be a nice change after having half-slept outside the night before, rolled up in their blankets.

Sam, Martouf/Lantash, and Teal'c had gone to purchase food for them all in a small fast food place they had spotted in the nearby town.

When they returned, the sun had just set, and the moon had risen. Sam looked at it with concern.

"It'll be full in 3-4 days, I think."

"What will be full?" Teal'c asked.

"The moon," Sam answered.

Martouf looked at it. "That seems correct." He gave her a puzzled look. "Something in your facial expression tells me this is a problem. Why is that?"

Sam shook her head. "It's silly... and probably not relevant. According to myth, werewolves are affected by the moon - some stories say people who've been bitten will change on the full moon."

"I see." Martouf frowned.

"So you fear this will be true, since werewolves have been proven to be real?" Teal'c asked. "And you suspect Daniel Jackson will transform into such a creature when this planet's moon is full?"

"Well, it sounds crazy when you say it out loud, right?" Sam sighed. "It's probably just a myth." She opened the half-rotten door to the barn, and they went inside. "Hi, guys! We got Chinese take-away!"

"Finally! Food!" O'Neill smiled broadly. "You have no idea how happy we are to see you guys!"

Sam rolled her eyes, and she and Martouf and Teal'c started handing out the boxes of food. Soon they were all sitting down in the hay, munching contentedly on their food.

When they had finished eating, the twilight had given way to night, and Sam could barely see Daniel's expression when he turned to speak to her. "You know... when you guys were talking outside... I could hear you. That stuff about the full moon... it's worrying me too. Actually, it's scaring the hell out of me!"

"Forget it, Daniel. It's just superstition. You'll be fine." O'Neill insisted, looking like he was trying to convince himself just as much as Daniel.

"You could hear us outside?" Sam asked.

Daniel nodded. "Yeah... and that's not all." He raised his head, looking across the large room they were sitting in. "Can you guys see that small mouse over there?"

"Um, what mouse?" Sam wondered, gazing in the direction he was looking. "It's very dark in here, with the only light being moonlight coming through those two dirty windows."

"I can hear it munching on something over there... leftover grain, probably. I can see it quite clearly... but in an odd colour... a bit like when you wear night goggles," Daniel insisted. "Across the room... about 50 feet away."

"Across the _room_?" O'Neill exclaimed, holding his hands up and looking at them. "I can barely see my hands right in front of me!"

Martouf squinted, trying to see the mouse, but shook his head. "It's not that I don't believe you, Daniel, but I cannot see the animal... it is much too dark in here. As a host my eyesight is much better than a humans. My hearing is enhanced as well..." He listened for a moment. "I believe I can hear it, though. Very faintly."

"Well I can hear it clearly - _and_ see it!" Daniel repeated, getting frustrated. "Do you know what that means? I'm turning into a werewolf!" His eyes suddenly lit up, glowing yellow in the darkness. The glow did not fade.

"Whoa!" O'Neill exclaimed. "Sure he's not a _host_ instead?"

Martouf shook his head - despite no one in the room likely being able to see it. "No, he is not. Not only can't I sense a symbiote in him, but that does not look like the way the eyes of a host glow. At all."

"I agree," Jacob said.

"Of course I'm not a host! Idiots!" Daniel exclaimed. "The eyes of the other werewolves glowed too!"

"Yeah, but your eyes glow yellow - theirs were red," Sam reminded him.

"Dammit! Look at my fingernails!" Daniel was getting more agitated. "They're... they're _claws_!"

O'Neill had fished out a flashlight, and lighted it. "Crap. He's right. Listen... Daniel. _Daniel_! Relax! We'll find a way to fix this! Control yourself!" When Daniel did not seem to listen, O'Neill let go of him. "Martouf - stun him."

"No... wait..." Daniel said.

Martouf grabbed the zat'nik'tel lying beside him, and fired at Daniel, who cried out, and shook as the energy coursed through him. After a few seconds he lay still, groaning softly, and looking at them with a slightly dazed expression.

"Amazing. It does not stun him completely." Martouf sounded surprised.

"No. Like... the other werewolves." O'Neill sighed, holding the flashlight so they could see Daniel. Before their eyes, the claws shrank back and the yellow glow disappeared from his eyes. "Daniel?"

"Yes..." He groaned again. "Yeah, I'm... myself again, I think." He sat up. "If this grows worse... Jack, you'll have to lock me up!"

"Let's not assume the worst yet. Carter - if he can get infected by this werewolf-stuff, he can be cured, right?"

"Eh, possibly." Sam frowned. "Assuming it's actually a disease of some kind, yeah, then it should be possible to cure him. At least if it hasn't gone too far. Remember the alien bug that

stung Teal'c and injected a venom or something, that started rewriting his DNA? I guess it could be something like this."

"So I'm being transformed into another creature? An alien of some sort?" Daniel asked, horrified.

"I've never heard of anything like that on Earth!" O'Neill said.

"Could it be something Ba'al brought with him? Could these creatures be his doing? Working for him?" Sam wondered. "Dad? Martouf?"

"It's possible..." Jacob hesitated. "I suppose it could be him doing it as part of his 'campaign' to make people feel unsafe, so they will elect him. I just don't know why ordinary human criminals wouldn't be enough. Besides, werewolves have been mentioned in mythology from a long time ago."

"Maybe their enhanced senses are of use to Ba'al - for keeping an eye on people? Don't forget I saw one of them weeks ago," Martouf reminded them.

O'Neill nodded. "We haven't forgotten, and I agree. It's possible." He took a deep breath. "Carter - any way to find out if this is a virus? Are the rest of us at risk?"

"I don't think anyone else is at risk - Daniel is the only one that's shown any signs," Sam said.

"Because I was bitten. That's how you become a werewolf," Daniel grumbled.

"Well, if I'm to check for a virus, or anything that's rewriting his DNA, I'm going to need some fairly advanced lab equipment - and a place to work. Any ideas?"


	12. Breaking and Entering

It would soon be time for Daniel's next shot in his rabies treatment, so they needed to find a doctor. Daniel would take the opportunity to ask about any places where it was possible to do a DNA analysis. As an excuse, he would tell the doctor it was because he was concerned he had inherited a genetic disorder he had just learned his sister had.

"So, what did the doc say?" O'Neill asked, as soon as Daniel stepped out of the door from the clinic.

"She gave me the shot, and then I asked about the DNA analysis. She said there was a lot of places where I could get that done, but that I probably couldn't afford it." Daniel looked unhappy. "Seems it's common for many workplaces to ask for a DNA analysis of people before they hire them - to make sure they don't have a heightened risk of disease, or something."

"What? That's outrageous!" O'Neill exclaimed.

"Yeah, I agree." Sam frowned. "And it also implies that DNA tests have become a lot simpler and cheaper than they were 12 years ago!"

"Well, maybe, but that doesn't really help us, does it?" O'Neill said.

"Maybe it does. We just need to find one of the labs that performs those tests, and see if we can get to their equipment. Today is Friday. If we can find a place nearby that has the right equipment for the tests, and we're lucky and they're closed over weekend, we could perhaps get it done without anyone noticing," Sam suggested.

"You mean break in?" Jacob asked.

"Yes, why not?"

"Okay, I'll buy that plan. How do we find a DNA lab?" O'Neill wondered.

"The internet. There's an internet cafe over there." Sam indicated a small establishment at the corner across from where they were standing.

* * *

"What did you learn?" O'Neill asked.

"That the equipment to do DNA analyses has become fast, simple, and cheap - and that they're fairly ubiquitous," Sam told them. "There's even a small lab in this town, which offers up DNA tests."

"Wow, how did you find out?" Daniel wondered.

"When I did a search for DNA analysis, an ad popped up along with the results. It would seem they are targeted according to both your location, and what you are searching for."

"Creepy... but useful in this case, I guess," O'Neill said.

"Anyway, the doctor was right, Daniel. While they offer to do it in an hour - as insane as that sounds - it costs almost 1000 dollars."

"Crap. We've got less than 900 dollars left after Daniel's doctor visits." O'Neill looked unhappy.

"Sorry," Daniel said.

"Nah, don't worry about it. We'll go with Carter's plan and break in tonight. Come on - let's go check out the place."

* * *

"I had never thought I would be stealing a car!" Jacob complained.

"It's all for the good of the planet, remember? If we don't make it out of here, who else is going to fight Ba'al?" Sam said, as she fiddled with some wires.

Jacob snorted. "I suppose that is true."

"Just keep guard, okay?" Sam found the wires she was looking for. She was really happy they had managed to find an old car with no alarms. She had not had a hard time picking the lock earlier. She felt a little guilty, though, as it was obviously a well taken care of classic. The owner would be very unhappy.

"Yeah, yeah. Just hurry up, okay?"

Sam grinned. "I never thought I would be stealing car's either - and with my dad! How's that for a father-daughter activity!" She connected the wires, and revved the engine. "Okay, good to go. Let's go pick up the others!"

* * *

"I wonder why there wasn't any guards," O'Neill whispered, looking around.

Sam shrugged. "It's a small town, and this is a small company. When I looked it up online, it really sounded like DNA analysis isn't considered much more high-tech than being a cable guy or something."

"Stop!" Martouf said in a low voice. "There's a camera over there..." He quickly fired at it with his zat'nik'tel, overloading the circuits in it.

"Okay, so I'm guessing the stuff we're after is behind that door." Sam pointed.

"I agree." O'Neill walked up to the door and examined it. "No wires - at least it doesn't look that way, though there's a key card reader." He pressed down the handle. "Locked. Figures."

"Let me take a look at that card reader," Sam said, kneeling beside the door. She started fiddling with it, then got it opened so she could access the circuitry.

"Hurry up!" O'Neill hissed, looking nervously in the direction they had entered from. He looked at the small walkie talkie he was carrying, almost expecting Jacob to call any minute, telling them someone was coming. If the thing even worked. It was part of a set they had bought in a gadget store, and had been quite cheap. It looked to be mostly meant as a toy, but it had worked well enough when they tested it earlier.

"I'm trying! It's not like anything I've seen before. Just give me a few minutes..."

"Would it work to just short-circuit the damn thing?" O'Neill asked.

"Ah, I'm not sure..." Sam began.

"Move aside, Carter... Martouf - shoot the card reader," O'Neill ordered.

Martouf and Sam looked at each other, then both shrugged and Sam stepped aside.

"It's worth a try, I guess."

Martouf fired at the device, and sparks flew from it, then there was a sound as if from an electronic lock releasing.

"Haha. Told you!" O'Neill grinned happily, as he went to open the door and step inside. The room was dark, and he turned on his flashlight. "Okay, which of these is the DNA analysis thingie?"

Sam turned on her flashlight as well, and quickly checked. "This one over here... and it's small enough that we can take it with us. Impressive!"

"Something in here has a naquadah signature," Martouf observed.

"A symbiote?!" O'Neill asked, concerned.

"No... probably one of these devices." He walked over to check on the one Sam was examining. "This one... and it even looks as if it was either heavily inspired by Goa'uld technology, or perhaps created by a Goa'uld, staying on this planet."

"Perhaps produced and sold by Ba'al. He's pretending to be an Earth businessman, after all," Sam observed.

"And would probably need some locally acquired wealth, in order to make it all look credible. Yeah, I think that's right." O'Neill said.

"Well, I guess that explain how there could have been such an incredible advancement in the technology of DNA analysis..." Sam sighed. "It's Goa'uld tech. Oh, well. Right now I don't care, because that means the device is small enough to carry, and apparently works quickly enough that we can get the results in an hour! That is, if I can figure out how the damn thing works!"

"You can figure that out later. Let's get out of here!" O'Neill ordered.

* * *

They made it out safely, and joined the others, who were keeping guard.

"Where do we go?" O'Neill asked, when they sat crammed into the car.

"As far away from here as possible," Jacob said, looking nervously out the window.

"Yeah, I got that." O'Neill let the car roll slowly out from the small parking lot outside the building. Another car passed by, and he swore softly, but the driver did not seem to have suspected anything. "I meant, where do we go afterwards? I assume we need to find a place where Carter can play with the DNA thingie, right?"

Well out on the road, he increased the speed. They were in the outskirts of the town, and the streets seemed deserted except for the one car that had just passed them.

"Maybe we could find a motel, or something? Can we afford that?" Sam asked.

"Sure. We've still got more than eight hundred dollars. Since it's not enough to pay for bus tickets to Colorado Springs, we can just as well use some of them to rent a room for the night," O'Neill said.

"That's a great idea. Then we can all get to shower!" Daniel suggested.

"Still bothered by the smell of the rest of us?" O'Neill grinned and rolled his eyes at him.

"If you had my sense of smell, you wouldn't laugh!" Daniel said, sounding offended.

"Duly noted. I'll find a motel - when we've gotten a bit further away from here."

* * *

It was near sunrise when they finally rolled into the parking lot of a cheap looking motel.

"We're almost out of gas, but I guess we ought to ditch this car anyway," O'Neill said. "By now it's probably reported stolen."

"Then perhaps we shouldn't park it near the motel where we're going to stay?" Jacob suggested.

O'Neill weighed the options. "I really don't feel like a long walk, but I guess you're right. What do you say we park somewhere in that little forest we passed a short while ago?"

"That could work," Jacob agreed. "We can probably hide it there so it won't be found for a couple days, at least."

"By then we should hopefully be far away," O'Neill said, turning the car around.

Sam groaned. "How far away was that forest?"

"Seven or eight klicks." O'Neill grinned. "Sorry, Carter."


	13. Rest and Results

It was close to two hours later, when the weary and hungry group arrived back at the motel. After checking in and dumping their few things - including the DNA analysis device - in their room, they went to the diner that was located just beside the motel.

"Let's sit over here?" Sam suggested, indicating a place some distance from the other patrons.

"Sure, why not?" Jacob shrugged.

They sat down, with Martouf/Lantash taking a seat beside Sam, smiling at her. She smiled back at him, and secretly touched his leg, keeping her hand under the table so the others did not see it. Martouf placed his own hand on hers, and gave it a squeeze.

The waitress approached their table and gave them a somewhat condescending look, reminding them of the fact that they had not had the opportunity to bathe for three days. "What would you like, folks?"

"Scrambled eggs, hash browns, bacon, maybe some toast, and black coffee... for all of us, I guess?" O'Neill said.

"Yuck, no thanks!" Sam wrinkled her nose. "I'd like a bagel with cream cheese - and some of that yogurt parfait you have in the food display. It looks delicious. Oh... and some coffee. Black."

"I, too, would prefer a different breakfast." Martouf smiled his usual, charming smile.

"What would you like, dear?" the waitress said, clearly not unaffected by Martouf's smile. "Our waffles are very good - and today we serve them with fresh berries and maple syrup."

Martouf hesitated, then nodded. "That sounds quite good. I would like that." Prodded by Lantash, he added, "No coffee for me. Can I have a glass of milk instead? Or maybe some fruit juice?"

The waitress smiled at him. "Of course. Your order will be right up. Anyone else want anything different? No? So, four times eggs, hash browns, bacon, toast, and coffee. One bagel with cream cheese, a yogurt parfait, and black coffee - and one waffles with berries, and a glass of milk - _and_ a glass of orange juice." They all nodded, and she left.

O'Neill rolled his eyes at Martouf. "Trying to get a better price by seducing the waitress?"

"I am not attempting to seduce her! I was just being friendly!" Martouf answered, an indignant look on his face.

"Probably a good idea to be polite. With the way we smell, we should be grateful they haven't kicked us out!" Daniel said.

"Stop it, Daniel. It's not funny anymore!" O'Neill warned. "Carter... as soon as we've eaten, you get right on that DNA test!"

* * *

"This motel may not be the most luxurious, but at least the room is clean, and more or less big enough for us," Jacob observed. "Two wide beds and a couch... I guess it's a good thing you don't need sleep, Teal'c." He grinned widely when he looked in the bathroom. "And it's got a nice big bathtub!"

"Sorry, sir, but that's gonna have to wait until the rest of us have gotten a shower!" O'Neill smiled. "Not that I don't agree with you Jacob. A bit of civilization is nice, for once."

"Ladies first!" Sam said, squeezing past her father, into the bathroom. "Besides, it makes sense, since I'm the one who has to figure out the DNA analysis device!" She added, when several of the others looked like they might object.

* * *

"Okay, Daniel! Time to let us take some blood!" Sam informed him.

She, Martouf/Lantash, and Jacob/Selmak had spent about an hour figuring out how the device worked. It was obviously Goa'uld technology, but since it had probably been produced on Earth, and since many things had been changed to accommodate the target customers, it took a little while for them to determine how everything was done.

"Sure, as long as there's some hope this will lead to you figuring out how to cure this, you can take all you want!" Daniel sat down. "Within reasonable limits, of course," he added.

"Of course." Sam grinned, and used a small apparatus to draw some blood. According to Jacob/Selmak and Martouf/Lantash, that part was a standard Goa'uld device, used for this exact purpose.

"How long will it take? An hour, or what did you say?" Daniel asked.

"Thereabout," Sam confirmed.

Daniel yawned. "In that case I'm going to take a nap."

"That sounds like a good idea. I think I'll do the same," O'Neill said. "I'll take the couch - the rest of you can share the beds."

"Uh, I think maybe it's better if I take the couch..." Daniel looked uncomfortable. "You know... if I suddenly become a werewolf... I don't want to risk harming someone sleeping beside me. It _is_ a full moon tonight."

"It's barely noon yet... but I guess it's not a bad idea to take precautions," O'Neill admitted. He stretched luxuriously and sat down on the nearest bed. "This feels really comfortable..." Smiling to himself, he lay down, and was soon fast asleep.

* * *

Sam checked the time. "Another twenty minutes or so to go, before we get the results." She sighed. "I don't know what I hope we'll find." She shook her head. "Werewolves! If anyone had told me just a week ago, that we'd run into werewolves, I'd have laughed at them!"

"Understandable." Lantash answered. "It is difficult to accept something you have assumed were just superstition and made-up stories."

Sam nodded, then gave him a wry grin. "Like aliens. Extraterrestrial lifeforms, I mean."

"Yes, you told me the existence of 'aliens' is considered something mostly... ah, 'crazies' and conspiracy theorists believe in. Aside from those who _know_ they exist, of course." He smiled, taking her hand. "Since you were born on another world than me, you would be an 'alien' to me according to your definitions, correct?"

"Yeah, I guess that's true."

"Then I must say that I am very glad aliens exist..." He took her other hand, and pulled her closer, and were about to kiss her when she moved back a little. He got a hurt expression. "You do not wish to kiss me? Would you like me to give Martouf control?"

"What? _No_! Lantash, that's not it! Of course I'll kiss you! It's just... we're not exactly alone in here..."

"They're all asleep, except for Teal'c, but he is deep in kel'no'reem. They will not notice anything."

"Maybe..." Sam threw a quick look at them. They were all quiet, except for the low snoring that came from her dad and from O'Neill. She shrugged, lowering her voice. "I suppose you're right."

"Of course I am right!" Lantash said, a self-assured look on his face. The arrogant expression disappeared and he smiled widely, pulling her to him again. He leaned in to kiss her, and this time she did not pull away.

She closed her eyes and kissed him softly. Lantash let her control the pace, returning her kisses, and keeping them light. Soon Sam allowed her feelings for him to come forward, and she ran her tongue over his lips, before pressing it against them. Lantash immediately opened his mouth, more than happy to deepen the kiss. Their tongues tangled and Sam made a low moan, wrapping her arms around him.

They continued kissing until they were both lightheaded from the intensity of the kiss, as well as the lack of air. Sam gave Lantash a goofy grin, and gave them both a few moments to get their breath back, before capturing his mouth in another passionate kiss.

* * *

"Daniel?" Sam touched him gently. "We've got a result on the DNA test..."

He yawned mightily, and slowly opened his eyes. "Huh? Oh, yeah, yeah. What did you find out?"

Sam looked very concerned. "Several things, actually..."

"What?" O'Neill asked, having heard them talk.

Sam looked around the room, noticing that everyone was awake. "Well, I guess it's good you're all hearing this." She knitted her brows. "Martouf and I looked at the result of the analysis, and we agree that it seems like this - Daniel becoming a werewolf - is caused by a type of retrovirus. It is - in simple terms - rewriting his DNA."

"God, no!" Daniel looked pained. "Can it be reversed?"

"Possibly," Martouf said. He gave Lantash control.

"The Tok'ra may be able to reverse the changes. Maybe."

"By making me a host?"

Lantash shook his head. "No, while I am convinced hosts would be immune, I am not certain a symbiote would be able to easily reverse these changes. They are very widespread. However, our healers might be able to cure you."

"How?" O'Neill asked.

"Through what Samantha says you call 'gene therapy'. It would be a combination of drugs, perhaps in addition to treatments with a device which resembles a healing device somewhat."

"But you think it can be done? I mean, no offence, but you're neither a healer, nor a scientist," O'Neill said.

"The point is well taken, though Martouf sometimes assists our scientists. He was studying science at a university on his world when the Goa'uld attacked, and he had to flee - ultimately becoming my host."

"Selmak agrees, and she has worked as a scientist among the Tok'ra from time to time." Jacob added.

"All right. Sounds good. Now we just have to survive long enough to find a way off this world, track down the Tok'ra - and hopefully stop Ba'al from taking over the planet." O'Neill shook his head. "Just a normal day for SG-1!"

"There _is_ another thing..." Sam hesitated.

"Yes? More bad news? Let's hear it." O'Neill sighed.

"You could say so. While looking at the added bits of DNA, we found what looks like writing."

" _Writing_?" O'Neill raised his eyebrows.

"Yes, writing. In Goa'uld." Sam looked unhappy. "Also, Lantash says some parts of the DNA - for increased healing abilities among other things - have been take from Goa'uld symbiotes. It's been further enhanced, but it's Goa'uld DNA."

"You're not saying the _Goa'uld_ are responsible for there being werewolves on Earth?" Jacob looked incredulous.

"Actually... they may be." Sam looked at Lantash.

"The writing translates to 'Created by the illustrious Lord Nirrti. Glory be to her for all time." Lantash got an expression of distaste.

"And so I've got Goa'uld DNA now?" Daniel got an unhappy expression.

"Some, yes, as well as bits and pieces from other creatures, no doubt - all of which Nirrti has made further changes to," Sam said.

"Nirrti!" O'Neill stared at Lantash. " _Damn_!"

"Of course!" Jacob exclaimed. He gave Selmak control.

"I do not know why I did not think of this, but it is well known that Nirrti has been involved in several attempts to create 'hok'tars' - advanced humans, which the Goa'uld wishes to use as hosts. She has worked on this on and off for millennia!"

"So she could very well be the cause of those legends on Earth? She could have created _actual_ werewolves?" Daniel asked.

Selmak nodded. "Yes - and she may have decided to test their suitability on this planet - and probably others - before deciding to continue her projects. Perhaps some of her test-subjects escaped, and the contagion spread. Either she was unable to contain the virus, or more likely she did not care enough to even attempt it."

"Or maybe she thought it could be entertaining to see how her 'creation' developed in a natural environment," Lantash said, sounding unhappy. "Never forget - it is _Nirrti_ we are talking about!"

"And then Ba'al just found out about them and decided to use them for his own agenda?" O'Neill asked.

"Or Nirrti made an agreement with him." Lantash suggested.

"Most of the time Nirrti has worked alone, but Selmak says she cooperated with the minor Goa'uld Zeus for some time... though that was a very _very_ long time ago. As Lantash says, it is possible she now works with Ba'al."

"The only thing is... Nirrti is even more untrustworthy than most Goa'uld. I am surprised he would trust her." Lantash shrugged. "Perhaps he is convinced he can trick her - most Goa'uld tend to be quite overconfident."


	14. A Meeting

They spent the rest of the afternoon discussing the new information, and then sleeping for a few hours, before going out to eat an early dinner. When they returned to the motel room, it was late afternoon.

"I'm really worried, Jack," Daniel said. "The moon will be full in a few hours... I'm positive I can feel myself changing. I'm feeling... irritated... as if I feel like disagreeing with you guys _all_ the time. As soon as I get agitated, I start to change. We've seen that more than once! I mean..."

"Shh... _relax_ , Daniel," O'Neill insisted. "If you change to a werewolf when you get agitated, then what about you _stop_ getting agitated?"

"Don't you understand? The moon is causing me to change! I can barely control myself!"

"Daniel! You heard what Carter and Lantash said! It's just a virus! It's not something supernatural, so I'm _sure_ the moon has no effect on it! It's all your imagination! You're working yourself up over this, _causing_ that damn transformation to happen!"

Daniel took a deep breath. "Maybe. I still don't think it's safe for me to be in here with the rest of you."

"Where would you like us to put you otherwise?" Jacob asked. "It's not like we have access to a holding cell."

"Or chains," O'Neill suggested.

Daniel grumbled something, then went over and sat on the couch. "Fine. I'll try to sleep, but I don't think I can. It feels like I'm on edge _all_ the time!"

* * *

The others had all fallen asleep, with the exception of Teal'c. Suddenly, they were awoken by the sound of a zat'nik'tel firing, and a loud growl.

"What the Hell is going on?" O'Neill exclaimed.

Teal'c was holding down a thrashing and growling Daniel - who had glowing yellow eyes and large teeth, as well as pointed ears and various facial changes. "You must assist me!" Teal'c panted. "I cannot hold him, and the zat'nik'tel shot did not transform him back for long, as it did the other times!"

The others ran to assist Teal'c, taking care not to be scratched by Daniel's now long claws.

"Perhaps if we shoot him again, he will change back to human?" Lantash suggested. "He did, for a brief moment, just like the werewolves that attacked us in the forest. Also, on them, one shot did little else to them, and two did not kill them."

"No!" O'Neill ordered. "We're not taking that chance! What if it kills him? It's only been minutes since Teal'c shot him!"

"We'll have to tie him up..." Jacob searched the room, while the others continued keeping Daniel down. "I'll just check outside - I'll be back in a moment."

"Hurry up!" O'Neill shouted after him. Daniel was so strong that it was hard for them to hold him down, especially since they had to avoid his teeth and claws - and avoid hurting him as well.

It was only a few minutes later when Jacob returned, carrying a long length of rope. "I found this in the garage - and no, no one saw me, so we'll be fine."

Tying up Daniel was no easy feat in his current condition, but they finally succeeded. O'Neill unceremoniously showed a sock in his mouth, silencing his growls.

"Okay, that was... not so good," Sam said, giving Daniel a concerned look. "Do you think he'll stay this way, or will he return to human form?"

"How should I know?" O'Neill grumbled. "I certainly _hope_ he changes back to human, because it's not going to be easy hiding him like that!"

"Well, it would seem he is indeed reacting to the full moon, as he feared. If that part is true, then perhaps the other part is as well? I remember he explained to us that in many of the myths, werewolves only changed when the moon was full. Would that not imply he returns to human tomorrow?" Lantash wondered.

"I sure hope so!" O'Neill said, throwing an unhappy look at the growling and twisting Daniel.

They took turns watching Daniel all night, making sure there were never less than two people guarding him at any time. As tired as they were, those not on guard duty managed to sleep a little, though not as much as they had hoped for.

* * *

"Carter! Martouf!" O'Neill called. "Wake up!"

Sam made a sleepy sound, and stretched. Doing so, she rubbed against the person lying beside her, his back snuggled against her. She opened her eyes, and looked confused at him. "Martouf?"

He woke as well, and half-turned to look at her. "Samantha. I... seem to have moved closer to you in my sleep. I apologize."

"No, it's okay. I've clearly, ah, moved around in my sleep too..."

O'Neill grinned. "But you looked _so_ cute, guys! Spooning and all..."

Sam rolled her eyes. "Thanks, sir. I _think_."

Martouf and Sam both sat up, giving each other slightly embarrassed - and goofy, happy - looks.

"Well, as you can see, Daniel is himself again." O'Neill smiled, too relieved by that fact to feel like teasing his second in command any further.

"Hi, guys... sorry about my behaviour tonight..." Daniel gave them a sheepish look.

"How much do you remember?" Sam asked, curious.

Daniel shook his head. "Not very much. Enough to concern me... and Jack and the others have been filling me in."

"Well, it's not your fault, Daniel," Sam said.

"She's right, you know. It's Nirrti's fault - and maybe Ba'al's." O'Neill sighed. "There's something else - Daniel got a scratch tonight, when we were fighting him, and now it's gone. Like completely."

"Interesting... so you've got heightened healing?" Sam looked fascinated. "Can you control it?"

"How should _I_ know?" Daniel grumbled. "I don't think I can. Pretty sure I can't actually."

"Well, we'd better get going soon. You made quite a lot of noise tonight, Daniel, and people looked at me strangely when I checked outside a short while ago," O'Neill said. "Take your showers, folks, no way of knowing when we'll get that chance next!"

* * *

It was nearing evening, when SG-1, Martouf/Lantash, and Jacob/Selmak approached the next place that was more than just a village.

They were walking through the lower parts of some hills they had crossed earlier, passing through the outskirts of what seemed to be a fairly large forest.

"It will soon get dark..." Sam looked at the sky. "How far away is that city?"

"I think it said 'Beacon Hills'... and back there it was 8 miles," Daniel said.

"We've walked quite a bit since then, so maybe another 5-6 clicks, I think," Jacob offered.

"Let's pick up our pace, then. I don't particularly feel like meeting another group of those werewolves." O'Neill looked around as if he suspected werewolves to be hiding behind every tree.

"That was a couple hundred miles back. We drove much of that in a car, so I doubt they'd be able to catch up with us quickly. Of course, that's assuming they even went in the same direction," Jacob said.

"I see you're unfamiliar with SG-1's luck. If things turn out like they usually do, then those werewolves are probably already here, and if not, they soon will be. Don't forget they may be working for Ba'al," O'Neill reminded him.

"Yes, _may_ be working for Ba'al. We don't know that for certain... but I agree. It's better to be safe than sorry," Jacob admitted.

Walking a little faster, they continued on through the forest. It was perhaps 15 minutes later, when the sun had set and the shadows were getting deep, that they were surprised by a man suddenly standing on the track in front of them.

"What the..." O'Neill exclaimed.

"My name is Derek, and I believe we should talk."

"Why? About what?" Jacob demanded.

"What the military wants with a werewolf, among other things."

"Werewolves?" O'Neill scoffed. "What are you _talking_ about?"

" _That_ one..." Derek pointed towards Daniel. "I sincerely doubt you're unaware he's a werewolf. The moon was full yesterday."

"All right," O'Neill said, deciding on a different track. "Get your facts right then. We're US Air Force, but we're _not_ involved in creating werewolves, if that's what you're implying."

"I was doing no such thing!" Derek sounded insulted.

"Also, I'm curious how you _know_ Daniel is a werewolf? Have you been following us?" Martouf wondered.

Derek stared at Martouf for several moments, without answering.

"Marty's question is valid. So, _have_ you been following us?" O'Neill demanded.

"He can smell it," Daniel suddenly said. "That I'm a werewolf."

"I have not been following you - and _Daniel_ is correct." Derek looked at Martouf again, his gaze turning unfriendly. "For a moment, I thought you were someone else. You look _remarkably_ like him, but you are clearly younger. Are you coming to assist your family in hunting us down? Does Daniel know what your family do?"

"My _family_?" Martouf looked puzzled. "I assure you, I have no family on the entire planet."

Derek shook his head. "I'm not sure I believe you, but I don't care about your reasons for lying." He turned towards Daniel. "Daniel... you need to come with me. You are not safe around here... and not just because of the hunters."

"What?" O'Neill scoffed. "Of course he's safe! He's with us!" He gave Derek a close look. "You say you can smell him. Does that mean you're one of them?"

"Yeah, I'm... I'm safe..." Daniel said, giving Derek a worried glance.

Derek allowed his eyes to glow red, and he opened his mouth, baring his large fangs. He grinned, changing back to human form. "As you can see..."

The others immediately took several steps back, and reached for their weapons.

"Whoa..." O'Neill said. "You must belong to the group that attacked us. _Your_ kind did this to Daniel!"

"I assure you, I was _not_ involved. There are more than one group of 'my kind', and we do not all get along. To put it mildly. One more reason your _Daniel_ should stay here. There are things he needs to know. Things he needs to _learn_ , in order to control his abilities, and learn to use them. To protect himself."

"Use them? We're going to _cure_ him! He doesn't need to learn anything about his _abilities_!" Sam exclaimed.

"Really? What happened last night? During the full moon?" Derek asked, in a mocking tone. "What makes you think _you_ are safe with _him_?"

"How _dare_ you imply I would harm my friends!" Daniel suddenly shouted, his eyes turning yellow and his features starting to change.

Derek scoffed. "See? As soon as he gets a little excited..." He suddenly looked away from them, past them. "Someone is coming. Hunters, I believe - not sure which group. I would suggest you leave. _Immediately_."

"Hunters?" O'Neill wondered.

"Werewolf hunters. There are currently two groups in the area. One hates the guts of all werewolves, the other has become more... mellow. Some of them, at least. In any case, neither of them are going to like a new, unknown werewolf. Meaning they won't like _you_ , Daniel. You should come with me."

"Never!" Daniel yelled, still too agitated to control himself. "Leave, if you're afraid!"

"Listen, Daniel... relax, okay? You can control _that_." O'Neill tried reassuring him.

"No, he can't. He needs to learn it. I can _help_!" Derek glared angrily past them, seeing people approaching. "Now or never, Daniel!" He turned to leave.

Daniel growled at him, and Derek shook his head before hurrying away.

"Derek!" A young woman's voice shouted. In the moonlight, they could see that she was holding what looked like a cross bow.

Daniel growled and ran in her direction.

" _Daniel_! Stop!" O'Neill exclaimed. "Why the Hell does he always..." He raised his gun. "Don't fire. He's just..."

Before he could say anything further - and before Daniel could get much closer to the woman - she fired something towards them, which hit between them and Daniel. It exploded just as she jumped behind a large tree. Sam, Daniel, O'Neill, Teal'c, Martouf/Lantash, and Jacob/Selmak all fell to the ground, unconscious.


	15. Captives

"Allison! Was it really necessary to use a _stun grenade_ on them?" Chris Argent demanded, as he ran up to her, followed by two other hunters.

"This one is clearly a werewolf." Allison pointed at Daniel. Before their eyes, he morphed back to human, just like he had before when he had been shot with a zat'nik'tel.

"Granted, but what about the others? Are they military? Air Force, perhaps?" Argent frowned.

"They were pointing weapons at me, and they're obviously with the werewolf," Allison said.

"Should we take them back and lock them up?" one of the other hunters, a man named Willson, asked. "If the Air Force is mixed up in something with the werewolves - especially if it's one of the alpha packs - then it could bad."

Argent nodded slowly. "I agree. I guess we had better - for their safety too. There are many dangers out here tonight." He looked down at O'Neill, then walked over to the next, a woman with blond hair.

"Hey, take a look at this one!" Jameson, the fourth in the group of hunters, called out.

"What's with him? We need to get them back before they regain consciousness." Argent hurried to him.

Jameson shone his flashlight at Martouf's face, and Argent made a surprised sound.

"Weird, right? He looks exactly like a younger version of you. Got any lost brothers?"

"Not that I know of." Argent sighed. "Let's call some of the others and get these people back and under lock-up - quickly. We need to get to the bottom of this."

* * *

" _God_! My _head_!" O'Neill exclaimed, pressing his hands against it. He opened his eyes. "Is it dark in here?"

"No, we're blind," Daniel said, sounding morose.

"It was a stun grenade," Martouf observed. "Though it was more powerful than any I have previously encountered, Lantash assures me the effects are temporary."

"That's good to hear." O'Neill took a deep breath. "More powerful, you say?"

"Yes, definitely," Martouf confirmed.

O'Neill ran his hands over the floor. "So... have we been out longer than normally? The floor feels like we aren't outside anymore."

"Most likely... and I agree in your assessment. It is also warmer than where we were before. I would assume the people who fired the grenade have moved us to a building."

"There were no obvious signs of habitation nearby," Teal'c observed.

"No. We must have been unconscious for a significant amount of time," Martouf said.

"Everyone else here?" O'Neill asked. "Carter? Jacob?"

"Yes, I'm here," Sam acknowledged.

"Yeah, I'm here," Jacob said.

"My vision is starting to come back," Martouf told them. "Everything now appears grey, instead of black."

"Good. Now... what's your take on that Derek fellow? And what was that about your family?" O'Neill asked.

"I know nothing of him, other than the obvious; he is a werewolf. He claimed he wished to help Daniel, but we have no way of knowing if he is telling the truth about being connected to that other group or not. As for the comments about my family? I would think it obvious he was mistaken. I was not even born on this world, as you all know," Martouf said.

"So you must look like someone he's met. A coincidence." O'Neill sounded like he was not sure if he dared believe that.

"Yes." Martouf sat up straight. "My vision has cleared to the point where I can see some of our surroundings. They are still somewhat blurry, but..."

"Well, where are we?" O'Neill demanded.

"In a holding cell of some sort. It is bare except for a bench along the wall, and some blankets... I think, in a corner." Martouf squinted, as his eyesight slowly returned fully. "I believe we are under surveillance. There is what looks like a camera just outside the bars."

"Awesome." O'Neill grumbled.

"My vision is returning too," Jacob said. "What about the rest of you? Daniel?"

* * *

"I took blood samples from all of them and ran through the analyzer," Jameson said. " _That_ one's the only werewolf." He pointed at Daniel on the screen showing the cell and the prisoners inside.

"And?" Argent asked. "You look like there's more to it."

Jameson nodded. "There is. According to the machine, the man with the grey hair is the only one that doesn't either have... let's say, unusual substances in the blood, or isn't... fully human."

"What do you mean?" Willson said, walking into the room.

"The black man with the weird golden tattoo on his forehead isn't human. Well, _almost_ , but not quite. As for the other three... the woman, the older, balding male, and the young man... they all have some sort of unidentified element in their blood. An unidentified _element_!"

"I wonder how that can be?" Willson asked. "Something the Air Force is experimenting on, perhaps?"

Argent shrugged. "No idea. It's possible, I suppose. Given the strange, highly advanced weapons they have suddenly started using, they're up to _something_. Did you know we found one of those stun-weapons - the ones that looks like a coiled snake - on one of them?"

"No, really?" Willson said.

"Yes." He looked at the screen again. "It would seem they're all awake. It's time to see what they have to say."

"Wait..." Jameson said. "There's one more thing. Those three with the unknown element in their blood... that's not all. The analyzer also detected something else - foreign DNA in their bloodstreams."

"What do you mean, 'foreign DNA'?" Argent asked.

"Do you mean like from blood transfusions?" Willson suggested.

"Normal blood transfusions does not transfer functional DNA, though some types do. However that is not the case here. The foreign DNA is not human," Jameson told them.

"What then?"

"Well, usually something like that might suggest a parasitic infection of some kind - past or present - but the analyzer doesn't recognize it... or maybe it does, but it gives some kind of error. It says. "Additional DNA from - then something unreadable - detected."

"What do you mean, 'something unreadable'?"

"Either garbage - or a foreign language, I guess. Maybe something that didn't get translated correctly by whomever produces these."

"So it could actually just be an error? Maybe it didn't detect anything at all?" Argent asked.

"It's possible, but I tend to believe it _did_ ," Jameson said.

Argent took a deep breath. "All right. We'll look into that later. First we need to determine who these people are, and what they're doing here." He looked thoughtfully at the figures on the monitor, clearly pondering something. "Jameson... you're right about what you said earlier about that young man. He _does_ have an uncanny resemblance to me. Why don't you take a blood sample from me, and run a comparison between him and me. It would be interesting to see what comes up."

* * *

"Ah, _finally_. Someone's decided to honour us with their presence!" O'Neill said. "How kind of you. Tell me, do you think we could get something to eat? We haven't had anything since this morning, and we've walked quite a long distance since then."

Argent frowned. "Perhaps later. When you have answered some questions."

"What kind of questions? As you know, we're not obliged to give anything but name, rank, and number. I'm Jack O'Neill, by the way. _Colonel_. And who might you be?"

"Chris Argent. My family protects innocents against werewolves and other creatures that might otherwise harm them."

"Good for you." O'Neill gave him a long, hard look, then turned to look at Martouf, who was also staring at the newcomer. "You know... I can see why that Derek fellow in the woods asked if Marty had any family here. You sure look a lot like him!"

"Including the voice," Sam observed, slowly shaking her head. "It's amazing."

"Can we talk about this later?" Argent looked frustrated, not used to people being so unconcerned about the fact that they were currently behind bars. "What is the Air Force's involvement with werewolves? Which groups are you working with?"

"We're not cooperating with any werewolves! Are you crazy?" O'Neill exclaimed. "Hell, a week ago none of us even knew werewolves existed! Then they attacked us, and one of the damn creatures _bit_ Daniel!"

"I see. Who were they? _Where_ were you attacked?" Argent demanded.

"A group of werewolves. How they Hell should I know who they were?" O'Neill said, angrily. "Lots of them - seven, I think."

"Seven," Teal'c confirmed.

"What colour were their eyes?"

"What?" O'Neill stared at him.

"Their _eyes_! What colour did they glow?"

"Oh." O'Neill shrugged. "Uh, red."

"On all of them?"

"Yeah, _all_ of them. What does it matter?" O'Neill asked, angrily.

Argent nodded slowly. "Where was this? _When_?"

"A week ago. I _told_ you that already!" O'Neill exclaimed. He took a deep breath, calming himself somewhat and making the decision that it could not harm them to give this information. The werewolves were probably the worse of their immediate enemies - unless this guy and his group was working with Ba'al, which seemed a bit of a stretch. Besides, it might build some trust. "A couple hundred miles back to the south... south-east-ish, I guess. Near a small place called 'Misty Willows'."

"Hmm, must be a different group than the alpha group that arrived here recently..." Argent looked unhappy. "Yes?" He turned to look at Jameson, who just entered. "What is it?"

"I have the results of the test. I think you want to hear it." He looked at the group of people in the cell. "Not in front of them. Come."


	16. Revelations

"And you're _sure_?" Argent asked, a disbelieving look on his face.

"Absolutely. I ran the test twice. There can be no mistaking the result." Jameson told him.

"It makes no sense." Argent frowned. "I'll go talk to them. Hear what they have to say."

"Want company this time?" Jameson asked.

"No. I'll talk to them myself. It's _obvious_ they're hiding something!" Argent turned on his heel and went directly back into the room with the holding cell.

"Ah, you again. Do you think we could get some food now?" O'Neill asked. "After all, we've told you all you wanted to know."

"Told me all I wanted to know?" Argent snorted and shook his head. "That's so far from the truth it's laughable!"

"What? What more do you want to know?" O'Neill exclaimed.

"I don't even know where to start! You come here - in uniforms. One of you is carrying an advanced weapon of a type we know the Air Force has recently gotten, but are keeping a secret. Along with a lot of other secrets they seem to have. One of you is a werewolf, and the rest of you don't seem to care! You know, one of my men is a scientist, and he used a DNA analyzer to check your blood - to see if there were any other werewolves among you. He found some interesting stuff."

"Yeah? Such as?" Jacob asked, clearly worried.

"Well, three of you guys apparently have some kind of chemical element in your blood, which Jameson has never heard off! You also seem to have 'foreign DNA' in your blood... whatever that means. Then there's the guy with the weird golden tattoo - he isn't even human!"

"I'm sure that's an error. Maybe this Jameson isn't as smart as he thinks he is?" O'Neill said. "I mean, Teal'c is... _obviously_ human."

"He looks that way, yes, but looks can deceive. Werewolves look human too - most of the time... I can assure you, Jameson is quite competent in what he does. He's also checked the DNA of your young friend there..." Argent nodded in the direction of Martouf. "The analyzer claims he's an identical genetic match to me. Could be my twin, but since it's obvious he's not, I am going to assume he's a clone. Not that I have any idea why anyone would want to make a clone of _me_! What other dirty little secrets are the Air Force up to?"

O'Neill rolled his eyes. "A clone? _Really_? Are you aware of how crazy all that stuff you just let out sounds?"

"Yes, I'm aware. I probably wouldn't believe them myself. That doesn't make them any less true - and you _know_ it!"

"Dad?" Allison stuck her head in through the open door. "Can I talk to you?"

"Right now? Can't it wait?"

"No, it really can't. Scott... Scott's here. And Derek. They want to meet. They have some information..."

"That's unusual. What sort of information? About our guests?"

"No - about a new alpha pack that's appeared."

"So that part was the truth... and they've gotten here now. As if one piece of bad news wasn't enough..." Argent sighed deeply, and threw the prisoners an unhappy look, before following his daughter out of the room.

* * *

"Okay, so what do we do?" Daniel said, sounding exasperated. "Sam, can't you... pick the lock, or something? We've gotten out of enough Goa'uld prisons."

"Ironically, a _less_ advanced cell can be harder to get out of than a _more_ advanced one." Sam sighed, and looked unhappily at the thick chain with the padlock that was keeping the door closed.

"A clone... is that a double, made from someone's code of life?" Martouf asked.

"Yes," Sam confirmed.

"I am _not_ a clone!"

"No, we kinda know that... or at least we think we know that... but what other explanation do you have? I mean, he said you were genetically identical!" O'Neill exclaimed.

"True. That _is_ strange," Martouf agreed.

"See, I know you're gonna say this sounds crazy, but could he _be_ you, but in another timeline, where you were born on Earth, and never became a host?" O'Neill asked.

"No. Aside from the great amount of other differences such a change would surely have caused, we only travelled 11 ½ years into the future," Martouf said. "He _can't_ be me."

"True," O'Neill conceded.

"Besides, I found records of all of us in the computer I hacked at Stargate Command," Sam reminded them. "We were _all_ logged as having disappeared on a mission to the Goa'uld Heka's domain. So we're in our own reality, and Martouf - and Lantash - are who they're supposed to be. The guy that captured us must have been here on Earth all the time."

"Okay, so this is just a coincidence? _Really_?" O'Neill asked.

"It's hard to believe, but..." Sam began.

"I did have a twin brother..." Martouf said, slowly.

"You have a twin? Why didn't you _mention_ that!" O'Neill exclaimed.

"I am sorry, but I do not think of him often. He disappeared when we were barely two years of age."

"Disappeared? What happened?" Sam wondered.

"My brother and I were usually placed in a children's care facility while our mother and father worked..."

"We call it a day care," Daniel said.

Martouf nodded. "One time - it must have been maybe a month or so before my second birthday, because my mother was home, soon due to give birth to my sister Svala - I was sick from some childhood malady, and could not go to the... the day care. My brother Agni was however well, so he did not stay home. That day something terrible happened, and all the children, and all the care personnel as well, except for one, were abducted."

"What? By who?" Sam asked.

"One of the people working there had managed to hide, and from her explanations, it sounded as if it was probably Jaffa that took the children and others. They left in a small vessel, most likely a teltac."

"That's horrible!" Sam exclaimed.

"Yeah, it is," Daniel agreed, then frowned. "Why wouldn't she know for certain if they were Jaffa? She must have seen a lot of Jaffa before, or what?"

"No, Setona - that's my homeworld - had been free of the Goa'uld for many centuries. In all that time there had been perhaps one or two prior cases were someone was taken, presumably with the intention of making them slaves or hosts. Of course, fifteen years later, Nephthys decided to take the planet, and it is no longer free." Martouf got a pained expression.

Sam sat down beside Martouf and gave his shoulder a squeeze. "I'm sorry you have to be reminded of all this."

Martouf nodded, smiling gratefully at her. "Thank you, Samantha, but it is all right. I needed to remember this, because while I do not understand how, it would seem Agni somehow ended up on your world."

* * *

"It would seem you are telling the truth about the new alpha pack," Argent said.

"Of _course_ we were telling the truth!" O'Neill sounded offended.

Argent nodded. "I meant no offence, but you'll have to admit you guys seem more than a little suspicious."

"I suppose we do," O'Neill admitted. "But you'll just have to accept that there are some things we can't tell you. National security, you know. In fact, we're on an important mission right now, so you had better let us out immediately, if you don't want to get in trouble."

"Really? See... I don't know _what_ the Air Force is up to at the moment, but there's at the very least a group of them who is involved in something shady. I have some connections, and from what they're telling me, I don't think I'm going to let you guys go just yet. We have enough trouble here with the alpha werewolves - we don't need the Air Force to create more."

"Are those 'connections' where you got the stun grenade?" Jacob suddenly asked.

"You recognize that technology, of course." Argent nodded. "Seeing as you had one of the stun guns on you. The design on them is obviously similar."

"Yeah, listen... about that 'stun gun'... it's not just a stun gun. If people are shot with it twice, they generally die. Most do, at any rate. Shoot them thrice, and they disappear. Poof. Just so you're careful about it, okay?" Jacob said.

"Really?" Argent looked taken aback. "They _disappear_? It sounds... unbelievable."

"If you don't believe me, then try it out - on something inanimate," Jacob suggested.

"I will - even though it sounds like science fiction." Argent shook his head.

O'Neill snorted. "Yeah, well..."

"What about the rest? Care to tell me what's up with the foreign DNA, and the unknown element?"

"I think we've told you enough! After all, we don't know _anything_ about you and your little vigilante group!" O'Neill said. "We've been cooped up in here for _hours_ with no food! If you're not going to let us out, then what about showing some common courtesy and at least _feed_ us?"

Argent took a deep breath, then nodded. "You'll get something to eat, and then we'll talk more afterwards. I'm beginning to think we might be able to help each other out."


	17. Some Explanations - and An Alliance

"Well, that hit the spot!" O'Neill smiled, satisfied, as he pushed away the plate. "Certainly took them long enough to bring us any food!"

"Yeah..." Jacob had a thoughtful expression. "Martouf - how much do you think we should tell your brother?"

" _If_ that's what he is," O'Neill said.

"I think that's safe to assume. It's a better explanation than any other, that's for sure!" Sam exclaimed.

"I agree. Listen, I have not seen him since we were less than two years old. He has grown up in a completely different world..." Martouf sighed. "Still, I cannot imagine him being a dishonourable man. It may be difficult to get him to believe us, and he may not take the time to listen, which could be unfortunate... but I do believe we should tell him... some version of the truth."

"Okay... say I agree with you. How do we explain you two being twins?" O'Neill asked. "He's obviously a good deal older than you."

"Well, we can surely tell him the first part, about us being parted because he was abducted. Just as long as we do not tell him it was done by Jaffa, in a teltac," Martouf said. "As for the discrepancy in our ages... I do not know your technology, but could I not have been in stasis?"

"Nope. No stasis tech on Earth," Sam told him. "Officially, at least."

Martouf nodded. "I see. Are there any other means of halting the aging process available on your world? I assume I cannot tell him I am a host, and that it will increase my lifespan with more than 500 years?"

"That... would probably not be a good idea to tell him, no," Sam agreed.

"Uh, 500 _years_?!" O'Neill stared at Martouf.

"The length of a host's life depends on his or her age at the time of blending. Martouf was very young," Jacob informed them.

"O - kay," O'Neill said. "So you're gonna get to see the distant future, without a timemachine?"

"Yes, I suppose you could look at it that way. That is, unless I get killed. The life of a Tok'ra is not a safe one," Martouf told them. "We got here through time travel, but we cannot use that explanation, can we? Maybe the... _Air Force_ has invented that as well, together with the stun weapons? Do you think Agni - _Mr. Argent_ \- would believe that?"

"No, _absolutely_ not!" Sam said, with conviction.

"Though maybe he _would_ believe the military was experimenting with some sort of stasis field, and that we were all caught in it - or part of a test?" Daniel suggested.

"Possibly," Jacob said, nodding slowly.

O'Neill nodded as well. "I'm sad to say that It would seem the Air Force - or at least a group within - have been up to no good recently. Probably it's because they've been infiltrated by Ba'al or the NID, through Stargate Command." He sighed. "If this Argent-fellow and his group believes the Air Force have invented advanced weaponry like zats, then we might convince them they've experimented with stasis as well."

"It's possible," Sam agreed. "It would certainly fit well with certain types of conspiracy theories, even though these werewolf hunters doesn't generally seem the types to subscribe to them." She suddenly smiled. "You know what? If we've been in stasis for many years, that would also give us an excuse _not_ to know much about what the Air Force is up to. It might even make it sound more likely we're _against_ what they're currently involved in."

"That could be why we're out here, on our own. We're on the run, and trying to find a way to fight those that have infiltrated Stargate Command and whomever..." O'Neill said, running with the idea.

"Which is even the truth... more or less," Daniel observed.

"Yes..." Jacob nodded. "As crazy as it sounds, it's not a bad idea. It may even work, if we explain it well enough. If it turns out those damn werewolves that attacked us are allied with Ba'al, then we may even have common enemies. We should use the time before Argent or any of the others come back to decide on what we want to tell them, and how."

* * *

"What do I tell Zoe Johnson, then? She's being very persistent. Someone must've told her about our prisoners, and that they're a bit unusual," Allison said.

"Nothing, for now. They're starting to meddle in everything!" Argent exclaimed.

"They _are_ our allies... we need them, especially now, with the new alpha pack... Which they know about too, by the way."

He sighed. "I will talk to them. Later. Right now I need to go back and hear what our 'guests' have to say."

* * *

"So you're saying I'm your _actual_ twin brother, and that I was abducted from day care when I was a little kid? And that the reason you're so much younger is that you and your friends were part of an experiment, performed by a top-secret US Air Force organization, which meant you were caught in a stasis bubble for 11 ½ years?" Argent stared at them, not sure he could believe his own ears. "Do you think I'm stupid, or are you just crazy?"

"Neither, sir. It is the truth," Martouf insisted. "I am convinced you are my twin brother, Angi."

" _Agni_? Do you have any proof of any of this craziness? Anything that can make _any_ of it sound like it's not _complete_ insanity?"

"Would we _invent_ a story this crazy if it wasn't the truth?" O'Neill asked. " _Seriously_?"

"I don't know _what_ I'm supposed to believe!"

"Your parents never said anything?" Sam asked.

"Only that I was the child of some friends that had been killed. I have never thought much about it, to be honest. I have always felt I was as much a part of the family as my sister."

"However that means you _could_ be Martouf's brother!" O'Neill said. "If the lied about where they got you."

"I suppose it's possible - if I accept your ludicrous idea about the 'stasis bubble'."

"I believe I can prove it - or at least make it more believable..." Martouf told them.

"How?"

"Shortly before you disappeared, we had each gotten a necklace from one of our cousins. It was a dark-brown leather cord, with a jackal figure pendant. The figure was made of a golden-yellow and brown type of stone. It was about this big..." Martouf showed with his fingers.

"I... actually had one of those," Argent said, frowning. "I haven't thought of it in a while, but I probably still have it somewhere."

"I have mine as well - or I did. After being... missing, for 11 ½ years, I was declared dead, of course, so... I do not know _what_ has happened to any of my things."

Argent nodded slowly. "All right. I guess I'm willing to consider that we may actually be brothers, despite the craziness of the stasis bubble."

"Why is that so crazy? You know there's a group under the Air Force that has access to technology that seems... almost too advanced. Didn't you test the zat?" O'Neill asked.

"'Zat'?" Argent wondered, confused.

"The zat'nik'tel," Martouf helpfully supplied.

Jacob rolled his eyes. "The _stun_ gun."

"Ah. Yes. I did test it."

"And?" O'Neill asked.

"The trash can disappeared. Okay, I agree. Maybe a stasis field isn't so far fetched compared to that."

"So, you trust us? Are you letting us out?" O'Neill looked hopeful.

"I trust you. Well, to a certain degree, at least." He sighed. "Yes, I'll let you out - and I believe we should talk. We may be able to help each other, actually. With the new threat out there, we can certainly use some friends."

* * *

SG-1, Martouf/Lantash, and Jacob/Selmak sat around one end of a large table. After hacing gotten the opportunity to shower and change to clean clothing, they were feeling much better. Right now they were waiting for Argent, and some people he had said would be there as well.

"So, uh, what do we hope to gain from working with these people?" Daniel asked. "No offence, but they're spending their time hunting werewolves - doesn't that sound, I don't know, a bit crazy and obsessive?"

"When I thought werewolves didn't exist, I would have agreed with you. Since it's now obvious that they do... no, actually. Sounds pretty okay to me," O'Neill said.

"I agree. The creatures that attacked us - and bit _you_ , Daniel - they don't seem safe to allow to roam free," Sam observed.

"Could you not talk about that?" Daniel looked uncomfortable.

* * *

"Since _when_ did we start inviting werewolves?" Kate demanded.

"Since we have a common enemy, which you know we have. You've even agreed to it." Argent insisted.

"To a temporary ceasefire with... certain ones, perhaps, but not to something like _this_. How could you agree to it? You _know_ I have the final say!"

"Yes, but I also know you can see reason - and that's what this is! We need them - or haven't you heard about the new alpha pack?"

"I have... and the info appears to come from those same werewolves we're meeting with now. Sure it's not a trick to get us to relax and take them into our confidentiality?"

"I'm sure. They're not the only ones - or even the first - to bring us this information."

"That sounds interesting... who are the other ones?"

"Some people from the Air Force - who have been involved in an experiment of sorts. They happened to run into the new alpha pack, a couple hundred miles to the south. They also have inside information about some of the advanced weaponry we have managed to lay our hands on. They were even carrying one of the stun guns we've been trying to get hold off."

"I agree they sound like they could be useful. _If_ we can trust them."

"I think we can. Another thing - one of them is my brother."

"Your _brother_? What are you _talking_ about?"

"It's... a long story. I'll explain," Argent said. "At least as much as I know."

* * *

The door opened, and five people entered, Argent first. They all sat down around the same table as SG-1 and the Tok'ra.

"This is my daughter Allison, and my sister Kate... and those two are Scott McCall, and Derek Hale." He nodded in the direction of Scott and Derek. "They're both werewolves... I believe you have met Derek before?" Argent said.

"Yes," O'Neill agreed. "What's he doing here?"

"I could say the same," Kate said. "About you, too..." She grinned. "Relax. My dear brother here has convinced me you're worth listening to. So speak. Why should we work together?"

O'Neill frowned, not feeling any more comfortable by Kate's apparent friendly mood. She still seemed dangerous, somehow. He looked towards first Jacob, then Carter, then Martouf, before sighing. "I guess I should start, then the rest of you guys can chime in with your comments along the way..."

* * *

It had been a long and harrowing discussion, and there had been more than one time where either Derek or Kate had allowed their anger to get the better of them. However, taking a short break had worked every time, and everyone involved had finally been able to see the advantages of working together - at least for a shorter amount of time.

"Then we agree? The plan is to capture one of the members of that new alpha pack, hoping we can get him or her to talk, so we can finally get some information," Argent said.

"Yes, that sounds like a plan." O'Neill nodded. "I hate being in the dark like we are right now!"

"Believe me, you're not the only one," Derek said.

"As for getting the creature to speak? Just leave that to me. I have a certain... _skill_ in that area..." Kate threw Derek a smug look.

Derek scoffed. "If you want to call it that..."

"Oh, I do. What do _you_ call it?" Kate got up, and looked at him, challenging.

Derek rose as well, and stared at her. "You want to know what I call it?"

"Okay, let's say that's it for now," Argent said, quickly, not wanting Derek and his sister to get into a fight - again. "We should get something to eat, and then we can figure out the specifics of our plan."


	18. Some Information

"Tell me again... how _did_ you get me convinced to do this?" Scott asked, a bit nervously, as he prepared himself.

"You're the logical choice - you and that guy Daniel. The new alpha pack will surely want to try and recruit you, so if you go hang out somewhere isolated, they'll probably send someone to contact you and see if you can be swayed to their side." Allison smirked. "Also, you love me." She gave him a quick kiss.

"True... I do." Scott smiled, and returned the kiss. "You guys _are_ gonna be there, right?"

"Of course! Don't worry about it!" Allison smiled reassuringly at him.

"Sure you don't want me to come along?" Stiles asked.

Scott grinned at his good friend, who as usual offered his assistance. "No, we'll be fine. But thanks!" He turned his head to see Daniel approaching. "You ready?"

"Yeah, I guess so. As ready as I'm ever going to get... I mean, we're going to be the _bait_ for God's sake!" Daniel said, looking unhappy.

"You'll be fine," O'Neill promised, walking up to the others. "Jacob and Marty are going to do their thing... they're stealthy, you know." He smiled. "Carter is going to join them, and if that isn't enough, me and Teal'c will not be far away."

"My dad and I will be there too," Allison said.

"That's not necessary. We can handle it, and we're too many already," O'Neill insisted.

"Relax, we know what we're doing!" Allison smiled, but she had an expression as if she was not to be argued with. "Besides, we're allies in this, right?"

* * *

Martouf, Jacob, and Sam jumped up from the hiding places they had made in the ground, surrounding Scott, Daniel, and the werewolf that had approached them.

"Traitors! How dare you..." the strange werewolf began, but he did not have time to finish before Martouf had shot him with his zat'nik'tel.

Unsurprising, while the appearance of the werewolf briefly changed, he did not fall down unconscious. He seemed just as resilient as the others they had encountered. The second shot felled him, though, and Daniel - who was closest - leaned down to check his pulse.

"He's alive."

"Good," Jacob said. "Let's get him tied up and back to the others, before his friends show up."

* * *

"He's in the cell - and awake and angry," Jacob told them.

"Good, let him stew for a little while, then we'll have a word with him," O'Neill said.

"You should let us handle that part. You don't have any experience with werewolves," Kate insisted. "They're not like the regular human prisoners you might have had to interrogate."

"Oh, we have more experience with something like that than you may think. Maybe not with werewolves, but still... we've got experience," O'Neill told her. "More than we may like, actually - and not always as the interrogators," he added, in a low voice.

Kate snorted. "So the Air Force admits to submitting their prisoners to, ah, what is it they call it... _enhanced interrogation techniques_? What a surprise!" She shrugged. "It doesn't matter - I don't believe any of you are capable of doing what needs to be done to make an alpha werewolf talk. _Especially_ not if this one is anything like those in the other alpha pack that has been pestering the area."

O'Neill took a deep breath, then nodded. "Okay, so you're in charge. You don't mind a couple of us tagging along? We have our own questions, which we would like answered."

"Suit yourselves, just as long as you don't interfere."

O'Neill looked over his people, considering who to bring. Himself, Teal'c perhaps... and maybe one of the Tok'ra. Would Selmak or Lantash be the best? O'Neill suspected all the Tok'ra probably had a good deal of experience with all kinds of interrogation - both performing it _and_ being on the receiving end - but Jacob had an Air Force background, so he decided to go with him. He was a known factor.

"Jacob... Teal'c. Wanna join us?"

Teal'c inclined his head. "Of course, O'Neill."

"Sure, Jack," Jacob said, getting up from the comfortable chair he was sitting in.

"Okay - this way, then." Kate left through the door, and the others followed.

"Well, since that's probably going to take some time. What do the rest of you say we eat while we wait for them to finish?" Argent suggested to Sam, Daniel, Martouf/Lantash, and Allison, while throwing an uncomfortable look in the direction where his sister had left together with O'Neill, Teal'c, and Jacob/Selmak.

* * *

"So..." Allison said, studying Martouf. "You're my uncle?"

"Yes, I am," Martouf confirmed, putting his glass down on the table.

"That's all you're going to say? I just learned my dad has a twin brother - who because of some weird Air Force experiment is much younger than him. Don't you think you owe it to us to tell us something about yourself?"

"Ah..." Martouf threw a quick look at Sam, not really certain how much he was supposed to divulge about himself and where he came from.

"Yes, that's a great idea," Argent said, looking interest. He reached for the bowl with potatoes. Martouf handed it to him. "Thanks."

Martouf took a deep breath. "I do not believe there is much to say..."

"Oh, I'm sure there's a _lot_! Like... are you married, for instance?" Allison asked.

Martouf looked down, a pained expression flitting over his face, just for a moment. "She was killed. It happened a few years ago... well, it's longer now of course, but to me it does not seem so."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Argent said. He hesitated. "My wife... she was killed too."

"By werewolves?" Daniel asked. "Sorry, I mean... I'm sorry about your loss."

"Yes," Argent said, then added, "By werewolves."

"Martouf... that's an unusual name. Is that your first name, or your last name?" Allison asked.

"Martouf is my given name. My people do not make use of a family name."

Argent frowned. "You're not American?"

"Eh, no," Martouf admitted.

"But you're in the Air Force."

"He's an ally," Sam said hurriedly. "Anything more than that is... classified."

Argent shook his head slowly. "Okay. Well, there's something else I'm more interested in knowing anyway. What about our parents? Are they still alive? Do we have any other siblings?"

"Our parents were killed when I was seventeen. It happened during an... attack by enemy forces. I... we had a sister... well _have_ a sister. I believe she is still alive, though she was taken by the attackers. I have not succeeded in rescuing her."

"Sounds like both my families have attracted misfortune." Argent sighed unhappily.

They finished eating, mostly in silence. They had only just decided to put the rest of the food aside, to be reheated when the others finished the interrogation, when the door opened and O'Neill entered, looking shaken. After him followed Kate, looking quite pleased with herself, and then Teal'c, and Jacob/Selmak.

"Well?" Sam asked, looking towards the new arrivals.

"Your sister is certainly... _efficient_ when it comes to extracting information from prisoners," Teal'c offered, inclining his head to Argent.

"Yeah... let's call it that!" O'Neill exclaimed, sitting down by the table. " _Efficient_..."

"Why, thank you, Teal'c! I'm pleased you approve!" Kate smirked and gave Teal'c and appreciative look.

"You are gravely mistaken. Cruelty. however inventive, is not an admirable trait."

"Aww, come on!" Kate rolled her eyes.

"I'm afraid the food has gone cold." Argent said, steering the discussion in another direction.

"It's okay. I'm not hungry... _any_ longer." O'Neill got a pained expression.

"I thought you guys were 'experienced'?" Kate mocked, giving them a faintly condescending look.

"Yeah, well..." Jacob said. He took a deep breath, clearly doing his best to put the memory of what had just happened away.

"Did you get the information?" Sam asked.

"Yes. He was quite cooperative... towards the end," O'Neill told them, a grim expression on his face. "What we learned... is not good."

"You can say that again!" Jacob scoffed, sitting down at the table, and eyeing the cold leftovers.

"The new alpha pack has apparently given the one that's here an ultimatum. Join them and work for their cause, or perish. That might be good or bad, depending on what happens," Kate said. "I guess we can always hope they kill each other."

"Yeah, I know who's going to be killed - with the weapons and abilities the newcomers have!" Jacob exclaimed.

"What do you mean? _Weapons_?" Argent asked, turning to look at Daniel. "Have you discovered any abilities different from normal werewolves?"

"I'm not really the one to tell, am I?" Daniel snorted.

"Of course. I apologize." Argent looked at his sister. "We should have Daniel talk to Derek. Have them compare abilities. Maybe we should run a comparison on their blood-work."

Kate shrugged. "Maybe. It seems they are a bit more resilient, and also a good deal stronger."

"That may not be a bad idea, Daniel," Jacob said. He sighed. "This... second alpha pack... if we can trust what that guy said... then they've been _hired_ to make people feel unsafe. Just like those criminals we ran into further south. They also have access to advanced weapons - and they have a second objective, which is to keep their eyes open for anyone that might suspect anything. People who would work against Ba'al. People like us."

"Really? So they _are_ working for Ba'al?" Martouf asked.

"Yes. The name we got was Joh'nar. He's their immediate superior, the one in charge of this undertaking."

"Joh'nar?" Sam wondered.

"He works for Ba'al," Martouf told her. "He is very loyal."

O'Neill sighed. "More snakeheads. Great."

"What are you talking about?" Argent asked.

"Never mind," O'Neill said.

"It's... some people we've had the misfortune to run into before," Jacob explained.

"Ba'al? The businessman that wants to be president?" Argent asked.

"Yes. That one," O'Neill confirmed.

"He's a slick bastard. I'm not surprised he's mixed up in something bad," Kate offered.

"You're more right than you can imagine!" O'Neill said.

"Did you learn anything else useful?" Sam asked.

"Yes. We've got the location of the place they've been meeting Joh'nar. We should go check it out," Jacob said. "It's a couple hundred clicks to the north-north east. Near the border to Nevada."


	19. A Dangerous Mission

"Remind me again, what is it we're hoping to gain from this?" O'Neill asked, testily. "It's the middle of the night, I'm cold and wet - and what is _he_ doing here with us anyway?" He glared at Argent.

They were sitting outside a large compound, which was protected by a high fence and several guards with dogs. There was a steady, cold drizzle, and the wind was picking up.

Sam rolled her eyes at O'Neill, but Jacob felt the need to answer the rhetorical question.

"Well, if this is where those werewolves go to meet with Joh'nar, and make their reports, we need to get in there and check out the place."

"I'm the only one here with any knowledge about werewolves, remember?" Argent said, sounding slightly miffed. " _And_ we've only got a place to stay around here because _I_ know some hunters we can stay with."

"Yeah. _Werewolf_ hunters. How many _are_ there of you guys?" O'Neill asked.

"Several groups just in the US - many more across the planet. It's not a local problem only, though it's only around here it's been getting worse."

O'Neill sighed. "We got that. Well, let's see if we can't find out some more about that? Any idea how to get in?"

"I got bolt cutters in my car," Argent said.

"The guards have passed by twice in the two hours we've kept watch," Martouf observed. "They seem to come around here exactly once an hour." He checked the watch they had given him. "I believe they should pass us on their next round in... 10 minutes."

"Well, then let's be ready to get in there." O'Neill rose.

They went back to the car to pick up the bolt cutters and a few other items they would need.

* * *

The guards had just passed on their round - at the exact time Martouf had predicted. They were clearly punctual, which was a good thing.

Jacob/Selmak, Daniel, and Teal'c would stay in the car, while Sam, O'Neill, Martouf/Lantash, and Argent snuck inside.

It took little time to cut a hole in the fence, in a dark spot near some large bushes. After squeezing inside, they pulled the fence closed behind them. Unless you knew where to look, it was not likely anyone would notice the hole, at least not until the sun rose, and by then they very much hoped to be out of there.

"This way... I think," O'Neill whispered, motioning for them to follow.

They hurried along the wall of the dark, foreboding building, relieved that there seemed to be no surveillance cameras on this side. It looked as if it might be the back of a little used part of the complex, so hopefully the security would be lesser here.

Shrubbery and ivy covered the wall in many places, and seemed to have been allowed to grow wild.

"That entrance, perhaps?" Martouf suggested in a low voice, pointing at a door that clearly had not been opened recently. The greenery had almost covered it.

" _Nice_. Let's check it out," O'Neill said.

The door was locked, of course, but there was no indication of any kind of either surveillance or alarm system. The lock was not even electronic, but a standard, old-fashioned lock that was opened with a key.

"I can handle this." Sam gave them a confident smile, and pulled a lock-pick kit out of her pocket. It was the one they had purchased earlier, when they had broken into the small laboratory, in order to get the DNA analyzer.

O'Neill and Martouf nodded, remembering the speed and skill she had shown when she picked the lock back then.

It took surprisingly little time for Sam to pick the lock. "Yes! Here we go!" She smiled, and opened the door, just enough that she could slip inside, while taking care to disturb the greenery as little as possible.

" _Impressive_!" Argent said, clearly meaning it.

They all hurried inside, pulling the door shut after them, Before doing so, they had done their best to restore the ivy and the thorny bush to their places. Hopefully, no one would notice anything was amiss until tomorrow.

O'Neill turned on a flashlight and let it play over the wall and the room. "This place is _huge_..."

"And it looks like it's used for storage. There's crates and boxes everywhere, as well as racks _full_ of various stuff," Sam observed.

"There is naquadah nearby." Martouf said.

"What?" O'Neill turned to look at him. " _Naquadah_? You mean... like a Goa'uld?"

"No, it's not the energy signature of a symbiote. This is weapons-grade naquadah I am sensing. Presumably they have some of it stored in here, maybe for use in Goa'uld technology."

"He's right. I can sense it too. What if they produce the tech they sell here?" Sam suggested.

"That would make sense. There seems to be little other reason for this large a compound to be here," Martouf agreed.

"Okay, what the _Hell_ are you guys talking about? Energy signatures? Nakve... something or other?" Argent asked, frustrated.

"Um... it's... a long story," Sam said. "Maybe later, when..."

"I guessed that... in fact I'd _expected_ you to say that. You guys are just one big secret! I still want the short version. _Now_ ," Argent demanded.

"Uh..." Martouf threw a glance at O'Neill.

"You found a strange chemical element in our blood, right? One you didn't recognize?" Sam said.

"Yes?" Argent looked expectantly at her in the semi-darkness.

Sam took a deep breath. "It enables us to sense this element... naquadah."

"Which is used in many kinds of technology by... this group that owns the place here," Martouf added.

"So it's something you've gotten injected to be able to track this stuff biologically?" Argent stared at them, not looking as if he believed them. "It sounds crazy."

"There's a bit more to it than that, but it _does_ give us that ability," Martouf said.

"Hm, okay... for now. I expect you to tell me the rest of that story as soon as we're out of here," Argent demanded.

They crossed the large room, checking a few boxes here and there, and finding parts that would probably be used in the production of the small viewer they had found at the O'Reilly's, the DNA analyzer, and several other kinds of Goa'uld-inspired technology.

The corridor outside was dark and silent, and they snuck through it quickly. They found that the building they were in was connected to the next one, which turned out to contain machinery, used in industrial production.

* * *

It was almost two hours later. They had searched through parts of the complex, and found proof of Goa'uld involvement everywhere.

Some areas had locked doors, and they had not been able to break the electronic locks. Or they might have, if they had dared - the doors were connected to alarm systems, and sometimes the whole area nearby was under surveillance.

There were a few areas that were guarded, and twice they had almost been discovered, but they had managed to get away each time.

"It doesn't seem as if there's any information here about Ba'al, or where he's hiding," Sam said in a low voice, looking dismayed. "We need to find him, or at least find proof about who he is and what he's doing, if we're to convince anyone to help us."

"Maybe there is something down here?" Martouf had opened a door, and were looking down some stairs. The beginnings of a corridor could be seen down there.

"I don't have a good feeling about staying here for much longer, but I guess we can take a quick look," O'Neill said.

"If we want to find anything here, it has to be tonight. Tomorrow they'll discover someone broke in, and it'll be _much_ harder to get in here," Argent pointed out.

"Yeah, I know," O'Neill grumbled.

They waited for a few moments, listening for anyone approaching. When they did not hear anything, they decided to risk it, and silently descended the stairs.

* * *

"I think we've finally found something!" Sam whispered, as she let her flashlight play over the room she had just entered. The door had been locked with an electronic lock, but she had managed to open it with the help of Martouf. "This is clearly some sort of office - for someone with a higher clearance."

"That sounds good! We've checked a dozen rooms, without finding any hints of where Ba'al might be," O'Neill complained.

"But we _did_ find a couple labs that contained some _very_ interesting stuff," Sam reminded him. "I really wish I knew what they were doing in them."

"We took copies of several of their data files, so perhaps we can find out later," Martouf said.

"There's a map over here," Argent told them, stepping closer to the table to look at it. "It's over parts of the US, with some places circled and with notes on it. I can't read the language it's in... though I think I've seen it before."

"Let me see," Martouf said.

"I think it was on the DNA analyzer... Yes, there was _definitely_ some words in that language on it..." Argent looked thoughtfully at the map.

"It's in Goa'uld," Martouf observed. "And _that_ is where Ba'al has his main fortress." He pointed at a spot on the map, not far from Colorado Springs. "Looks like he has a couple others as well... and there are also some other places marked."

"Figures. He'd want to be close to the Stargate," O'Neill said.

"Goa'uld? _Stargate_? I'm thinking you guys have more secrets than my family - and we have a lot, as we've been hunting werewolves for centuries." He looked at Martouf. "I meant... my _other_ family."

"I understand." Martouf smiled. "I believe there is a number of things we need to explain. _Later_."

"Right now we should get a copy of that map... Mr. Argent, did you bring that phone of yours? The one that has a camera?" Sam asked.

"Of course. Most phones today have that, by the way." He smiled at her. "And you can call me Chris."

"Okay... Chris. Could you take some pictures of that map, then Martouf and I will check the computer and the drawers for anything useful."

* * *

"You got what you need?" O'Neill asked.

"I think so," Sam said.

"There does not seem to be anything else to find, at least not in here," Martouf added.

"Okay, then let's get out of here. Argent?"

"Coming. I just found this strange thing. What do you think it is?" He held it out towards them. It was a grey orb with a matte metallic finish, fitting in the palm of a hand.

"That is a long-range communications device," Martouf told him.

"Yeah, I see that." O'Neill sighed unhappily. "So if we hadn't found the Goa'uld writing, that would be a dead giveaway of whom we're dealing with, I guess."

"Yes, the owner of this room is probably a Goa'uld," Martouf said.

"Hm. They can't use it to spy on us, can they?" O'Neill asked.

"Not if it is the normal version of it, which it seems to be." Martouf held out his hand. "Let me look at it."

Argent handed it to him. "Here."

Martouf turned it over in his hand. "It looks like a standard model. We should be quite safe from eavesdropping. At least from this." He handed it back.

"Better put that thing back where you found it - and then let's get the hell out of here!" O'Neill said.


	20. Prisoners

"Crap!" O'Neill exclaimed, keeping his voice down. "So close, and then the way out is blocked by those idiots!" He glared at the guards standing near the hole in the fence, quite some distance away. They were clearly talking about something. He just hoped it was not because they had discovered the break-in.

"If they had found the hole, would they not have called for assistance, instead of remaining there?" Martouf said, clearly having thought of the same as O'Neill.

Their group had just turned the corner of the storage building. They had gotten safely out the same door as they had entered, and walked along the large building. No one seemed to have discovered anything. It would be really bad luck if they were detected just as they were on their way to escape unharmed.

They hurriedly pulled back to the relative safety, hidden behind the corner of the building.

"Maybe they _have_ , and are just guarding the place until they can get reinforcements?" Sam suggested.

"It is possible..." Martouf agreed. "In that case I should attempt to sneak up on them and stun them with my zat'nik'tel."

O'Neill considered it for a moment, then nodded. "Do it."

"Be careful," Sam told him.

He flashed her a quick smile. "Always, Samantha."

As silently as possible, Martouf crept towards the guards, taking care to stay in the shadows close to the wall. The guards did not notice him, and when he had gotten close enough, he fired at one of them, felling him.

The other guard cried out just as Martouf fired at him, but did not have time to do anything else before losing consciousness.

Sam, O'Neill, and Argent hurried to where Martouf/Lantash were standing. Martouf straightened, after taking the weapons from the two guards.

"Awesome!" O'Neill grinned.

"We should leave quickly. Someone may have heard us, even should the guards not have called for reinforcements," Martouf said.

"Agreed, let's get out of here." O'Neill began pulling at the opening they had cut in the fence earlier, making it larger again. "You first, Carter."

Sam crawled out, and O'Neill was almost through as well, when they heard yelling from behind.

"Damn, _guards_!" Argent exclaimed.

"Crap!" O'Neill said. "Get out of there, _quickly_!"

"Watch out!" Sam called. "Behind you, Martouf!"

Martouf had only just started to turn, when one of the guards he had stunned earlier hit him over the shoulder with a baton. It was a grazing blow, since he had managed to move out of the way some, but it was still enough to cause him stumble. The other guard was awake as well, and while still lying down, he was able to pull out his knife and stab Martouf in the leg, causing him to cry out and fall, still out of balance from the other hit. His eyes flashed, as Lantash took control.

Argent turned to help, but was shot with a zat'nik'tel, proving that at least some of the guards had been armed with Goa'uld weapons. Martouf neither had time to raise his own weapon, or in any other way defend himself before the guards had stunned him as well.

Sam and O'Neill were outside the fence, and when they moved to crawl inside and see if they could rescue the others, the guards shot the fence with their zat'nik'tels. Sam and O'Neill let go of it just in time, or they would have been stunned as well. More guards were swarming towards them, and they realized they would not be able to help Martouf/Lantash and Argent.

"Come on, Carter!" O'Neill said. "We can't help them."

"We can't leave them!" Sam exclaimed, getting a desperate edge to her voice.

"We'll come back for them - with weapons and reinforcements. Come _on_!" he ordered, surprised by Sam's strong emotional reaction.

With a last, deeply worried look at Martouf and his brother, Sam turned and followed O'Neill. They ran into the thick shrubbery, and made it away into the darkness, despite several shots zipping past them very close by.

* * *

Martouf woke up in what was obviously a holding cell of some sort. Lantash had awoken some time before, and confirmed his suspicion.

*I believe Samantha and O'Neill made it away. Your brother is locked up here with us. He is not yet awake.*

*I am relieved Samantha and O'Neill managed to escape. They have all the data we found, except for the pictures my brother took with his... _cell phone_. Hopefully, what they have is enough to track down Ba'al and capture him and any others involved in this conspiracy.*

*They are unlikely to give up on us. Such is not the Tau'ri way. They will attempt to free us,* Lantash reminded him.

*I believe you are correct. We should attempt to escape on our own, though, as we cannot risk them being captured as well. Why do you think my brother is still unconscious? A zat'nik'tel shot should not have such a strong effect.*

*We had been injected with a sedative. It is likely he has as well. The effect on us was minimal, and I was able to filter out the rest quickly. Still, we must have been unconscious for some time, as the guards have had time to carry us here and lock us up.* He moved his shoulder, and straightened. There was only a minimum of pain. *I have almost finished healing the damage from the blow to our shoulder. The wound in our leg is mending as well, and is no longer bleeding. It was fairly deep.*

*Yes, I suspected that. I am, as always, grateful you are such a great healer.* Martouf 'hugged' Lantash.

They remained still for some time more, allowing Lantash to complete healing their injuries.

* * *

Argent groaned and rolled over on his side, opening his eyes. "Martouf?" he said, spotting the other man sitting against the wall. "Are you okay?"

"I am fine, thank you. We were injected by some sort of sedative."

"Ah, yeah. That makes sense. I wasn't sure if it was just the aftereffects of being shot with that stun gun, or what."

"No. Though that, too, gives you an unpleasant, painful sensation for some time afterwards. It should long since have passed by now, though."

"Right. The voice of experience." He grinned.

"Unfortunately, yes."

Argent frowned. "I seem to remember you were fairly badly wounded. You got hit by a baton... and one of the guards stuck a knife in your leg."

"Yes... fortunately, I managed to move out of the way some, so my shoulder was not as badly injured as it otherwise would have been." He moved the shoulder, rotating it to show that he was fine. "It's not a problem. The leg is fine too."

"I see. That's good," Argent said, looking surprised.

Martouf rose. "We should attempt to escape. I have already examined the door, and I believe it may be possible to get out, if we can find something with which to pick the lock. I have studied it, and the bolt which is supposed to keep the door locked seems to not have extended fully, and I believe I may be able to force it back. Do you have anything which we can use?"

Argent searched his pockets. "No, they've taken everything." He looked speculatively at Martouf again, then at his torn pant leg that was completely drenched in blood. There was also a small amount of blood on the floor, and now he spotted a bloody bandage beside a bench in the corner. The criminals must have put that on Martouf, not wanting to risk their prisoner bleeding to death. "How can you _walk_ on that leg? From the amount of blood, the wound must be deep..."

Martouf looked down on his leg. "You need not worry. It is no longer bleeding."

"Is that why you removed the bandage?"

"It was soaked in blood."

"Yes, exactly."

Martouf took a deep breath, and conferred briefly with Lantash. "I have increased healing. The wound on my leg is gone."

Argent frowned. "You have 'increased healing'."

"Yes... but I'm _not_ a werewolf, if that is what you think."

"I believe you - the DNA analyzer would have told us if you were."

"Of course." Martouf looked relieved.

"What then?"

Martouf thought about what to answer, while he methodically searched the room for anything he could use to try and force the lock. "I am human... mostly... except for some... changes. Enhancements, I guess."

Argent rolled his eyes. "Meaning what? The Air Force made those changes? Is that the cause of the foreign DNA?"

"No... and in a way, yes." He looked at him. "I don't think I'm allowed to talk about it. I am sorry." Martouf checked under the bench, and discovered some thin metal rods which were part of a structure that fastened the bench to the wall.

"Figures! You guys have more secrets than anyone I've _ever_ met before!" Argent complained.

"Quite possibly," Martouf agreed, more concentrated on the bench than on the discussion.

Lantash took control, grabbed hold of the bench and pulled, hard, ripping the bench from the wall.

"Whoa! Are you trying to get the guards to come back with all that noise?" Argent exclaimed, shocked. "Why don't you just go ahead and rip the cell door open instead?"

"If it was as weakly constructed as a normal Tau'ri holding cell, I would have. The lock on this one is much sturdier, though," Lantash said, remembering to use Martouf's voice.

"Okay. _Sure_." Argent snorted, not believing him. " _Tau'ri_? What's that?"

"Another word for Earth."

"Not one _I've_ ever heard... but I guess I should start expecting that from you."

Lantash did not answer, but just examined the thin metal rods which were now partially torn off. He took hold of one of them and ripped it off. "I believe this should work."

"Sure they didn't use werewolf DNA for those 'enhancements' you said they've given you?"

"I am sure," Lantash said, as he kneeled down by the door and started to fiddle with the lock.

Argent sat up more straight, and slowly shook his head. "You know, when... _if_ we get out of here, I'm going to want to hear an explanation... for a _lot_ of things!"

"Yes, I assumed as much." Lantash made a sharp twist with the thin piece of metal, and there was a sharp click. He immediately pulled the door hard, and the rest of the lock snapped. He got a very pleased expression. "I believe we are one step closer to making it 'when' we get out of here instead of 'if'. Are you coming?"

"Of course." Argent smiled wryly at him. "Nice work, by the way."


	21. A Fight - and An Escape

"Quiet!" Lantash whispered, still using Martouf's voice. "There's someone coming this way." He looked around. "In here!"

They hurried into what appeared to be a storage room, and hid behind some large boxes. It was dark in there, the only light coming from an emergency light. Moments later they heard someone walk past outside, talking to each other about the intruders that had been captured.

They waited, barely daring to breathe, until they felt certain the guards were far enough away. However, they did not even make it to the door before an alarm sounded, no doubt because their escape had been discovered.

"Crap, they've discovered our escape. If we stay here, we're probably trapped... I mean, they're sure to search all the rooms. If we try to leave, we'll probably run into them," Argent grumbled.

"I believe that is a correct assessment," Martouf said, having gotten control back from Lantash. "We should see if there is something in here we can use to defend ourselves with."

"Agreed."

They quickly searched the small, dark room, finding little of use. It seemed to be office supplies that were stored there.

Martouf ended up tearing off the cutting arm from a paper trimmer - it would work as a bladed, machete-like weapon. Argent went for a long hollow metal rod, taken from a kind of large vacuum cleaner that stood in a corner. Thus armed, they went to the door and listened.

"Someone is approaching," Martouf whispered.

Some moments later, the door was ripped open by a guard, who pointed a gun inside. Not wanting to wait until they were detected, Lantash took control, flashing Martouf's eyes. He grabbed the guard's weapon with one hand and pulled hard, causing the guard to stumble. He did not give him time to regain his bearings, but quickly hit him over the back of the head. The guard fell to the ground, with Lantash now in possession of the weapon.

He jumped away from the door, almost colliding with Argent who had quickly moved back as well. A second guard fired his weapon, but hit only the door and the wall.

"Give me the gun!" Argent said, urgently.

Acknowledging that the other man had more experience with the Tau'ri weapon, Lantash quickly obeyed. The guard on the floor moaned and started to rise, and Lantash pulled him up and pushed him against the wall, closing a hand around his throat. "Tell your friend out there that he must surrender. _Now_! Or I kill you! _Slowly_!" Lantash did not bother to hide the distortion in his voice, and he now flared his eyes, for extra effect.

The guard looked at him, terrified. "Y... yes. Yes, of course." He called out to the guard outside. "Help! _Help_! It's one of the creatures! From the experiments! He's escaped!"

The other guard pushed the door open completely and nervously stuck his head inside the room, holding his weapon before him.

Lantash turned, dragging the guard with him as he did so, holding him between himself and the new guard. He stared directly at him and flashed his eyes a strong golden-yellow. "I do _not_ take kindly to being referred to as a creature!"

"I..." the guard began.

That was as far as he got before Argent shot him, and he sank to the ground. Lantash effortlessly threw the guard he had been holding aside, and then retrieved the weapon from the guard that had been shot. "Let's get out of here."

"Agreed - though now you _really_ have some things you need to explain, Martouf."

"Later - and I'm not Martouf."

* * *

"Mai'tac!" Lantash swore. "Werewolves!"

They had just made it outside, when four snarling werewolves appeared as if out of nowhere, and blocked the road ahead. Their eyes glowed red, and they showed their large fangs and claws.

Argent raised his gun, and backed away from them, back into the building. "Can you fight them?"

Lantash snorted, pointing his gun at the attackers, and keeping his attention on them, as he, too retreated into the building. "No. My kind may be faster and stronger than humans, but from what I have seen, fighting _one_ werewolf _might_ be possible, but not two. Four would be suicide. For all that we have increased healing, we cannot survive the damage they can."

"Your _kind_? Aren't you supposed to be my brother?" Argent asked, looking behind them to see if they were getting into an ambush.

"Martouf is your brother. I am not Martouf - as I told you earlier." Lantash fired at the nearest werewolf, hitting him several times. It stopped him, but did not seem to harm him much. "Now is _not_ a good time for this!"

"Agreed," Argent said, and shot at the approaching werewolves as well.

The leader - a huge werewolf with long brown hair - stopped and glared at them. "Surrender! Or we'll tear you apart!"

"You'll have to go through us first!" O'Neill shouted, appearing around the corner at that moment. He shot at the werewolf leader with a shotgun.

Sam, Daniel, Teal'c, and Jacob/Selmak came running as well, all of them armed. Daniel, however, transformed to a werewolf, and jumped one of the attackers.

"Daniel! _No_!" Sam screamed.

Teal'c and Jacob fired at the attackers, taking care not to hit Daniel. Suddenly, the werewolves turned and ran, all of them making it away, though one of them was bleeding heavily.

Sam sent Martouf/Lantash a relieved smile, very grateful they were alive and well.

"Well that was weird!" O'Neill said, staring in the direction the werewolves had run off.

Jacob nodded. "Well, let's not wait around and think about that! Are you coming, kids?"

* * *

Surprisingly, there were no other attacks by either guards or werewolves, and they all made it to safety. They quickly got into the large car - or minivan was probably a better word for it, as it seated seven people without much problem.

"Step on it!" O'Neill exclaimed, as he slammed the door to the car shut.

Argent accelerated the car and they drove off, one of the guards firing a shot after them as a parting gift. It did not hit any of them, fortunately.

"I'm assuming we're still going to meet up with your friends, Argent?" Jacob asked.

"Yes - unless you know of a safer place to hide out?"

"You know we don't," O'Neill stretched his legs out in front of him and groaned. "My knees really hate this cold and rain!"

"We did get a lot of intel, though. It will take some time to sift through it, but I think we've got enough to find out not just who are involved, but also most of what they're involved _in_ ," Jacob said. "At least it will be hard to prove, otherwise."

"Yes... and we should consider hiding it, until we've got our hands on Ba'al. Otherwise we risk someone stealing it. Then we'll be standing there afterwards, with compromised people all over the place - and little opportunity to tell who they are," Sam observed.

"I agree," O'Neill said.

"I'll have my sister come and take the things we need to stash. I assure you, she won't let _anyone_ get their hands on it," Argent insisted.

"Okay, sounds good, I guess. O'Neill sighed, realizing that was probably their safest bet right now. "It's really too bad they took your cell phone, Argent. We could have used those maps."

"We still have them. I sent them all to my email before my phone was taken. I just need to download them."

"Awesome! O'Neill grinned. "I'm really starting to like some of the technological developments there's been!"

"You're sure you're okay?" Sam asked Martouf.

"Yes, I am well, Samantha. The injuries I sustained has healed completely." He smiled, clearly pleased about her concern for him.

Argent frowned. "Listen, we've got maybe 40-50 minutes of car drive ahead of us. I suggest we use the time until then to talk about who or what you are, Martouf!"

"We have already told you that there are some things we can't talk about," Sam reminded him, quickly.

"That was before the eye-flashes, the weird voice, the fast healing... need I go on? Oh, and the fact that he suddenly talked about himself in the third person, claiming he was someone else!" Argent exclaimed.

"Unfortunately, it was necessary for Lantash to not hide the distortion in his voice, nor the eye-flash, since we needed to... ah, cause a distraction with one of the guards," Martouf explained.

"Great!" O'Neill groaned. "Just great! In that case _you_ get to explain, Marty - and you, Argent? You're going to have to sign a nondisclosure agreement. As soon as we get all this mess cleaned up, that is!"

"It's probably a good thing in any case, sir. With Ba'al's involvement and everything, Mr. Argent needs some information if he is to help us," Sam reminded them.

"I agree," Jacob said.

"In that case I shall explain." Martouf was quiet for some time, considering what to say, and how. "I believe I should begin by explaining about the Goa'uld, and the chaapa'ais... or 'Stargates', as they would be called in your language."

"Maybe you should let me take that part," Daniel suggested. "Just to explain it from an, ah, Earth point of view."

"Please do so. It is probably best," Martouf said, relieved.

"From an ' _Earth_ ' point of view?" Argent snorted. "What other point of view would there be?"

"Just let Daniel explain. You'll see," Sam told him.

"Let's see... in 1928, some archaeologists at a dig in Giza found..." Daniel began.

* * *

"So there is an entire network of these 'Stargates', and they can be used to travel to other planets?" Argent asked, an incredulous expression on his face.

"Yes, there is - and they can," Daniel confirmed.

"And you're part of a team, which travels to other planets regularly?"

"Yep!" O'Neill grinned.

Argent shook his head. "It sounds crazy... and as if that wasn't enough, then you claim to have met some evil aliens out there, who wants to conquer Earth! Aliens who take humans as _hosts_!"

"Re-conquer Earth, actually," Sam told him. "They were here a long time ago, posing as various gods."

"The Goa'uld rule much of this Galaxy, and have done so for many thousands of years," Martouf said. "The Tau'ri... the people of Earth... they are not the only ones fighting the Goa'uld. They are allied with the Tok'ra, who have fought the Goa'uld for approximately 2000 years."

"They are the Goa'uld resistance," Teal'c added.

"Well, that's a relief to hear, at least. We're no _completely_ alone. Wait... if they're Goa'uld resistance... does that mean they're the same species?"

"Yes, the Tok'ra are biologically Goa'uld, but are vastly different philosophically. We believe in only taking willing hosts, and that host and symbiote should share the body," Martouf explained.

"Um... when you're saying 'we'... does that mean _you're_ Tok'ra?" Argent asked, shocked.

"I am... I am host to Lantash. It was he who you talked to during our escape, and it is he who gives me increased strength, healing, longevity... and so much more." Martouf smiled, before bowing his head, and letting Lantash come fore.

"I apologize if I startled you during our escape. That was not my intention, but I needed to distract the guards," Lantash said, then deliberately flashed his eyes as Argent looked at him.

"You're a Tok'ra? An... an _alien_?" Argent asked.

"Yes, I am a Tok'ra, and as I am not born on this world, I would be considered an alien. Martouf... and you, are also not born on this planet."

"What?" Argent frowned, almost forgetting his shock at meeting an alien.

"You and Martouf were born on a world that is called Setona. You are humans, though I believe even humans are considered aliens, if they are born on a different planet? Teal'c, also, is an alien. He is a Jaffa," Lantash explained. "His people were - I believe your word is 'genetically engineered' from humans, meant to be used as vessels for carrying the young of the Goa'uld, and for fighting in the armies of the Goa'uld System Lords. They were created by the Goa'uld Nirrti - as were the werewolves, by the way. We believe she is currently working with Ba'al - another Goa'uld, who seems to have decided to use your world for carrying out his plans. Joh'nar - the owner of the laboratory and office we searched - is one of his underlings."

Argent made a pained sound. "I see I was wrong to dismiss so many of the conspiracy theories. Listen, we're almost at the house of Nick Isaacs - the hunter we're staying with. I'd really appreciate hearing the rest of the story, but we should wait until we're alone again."


	22. Guests

Nick Isaacs turned out to be a friendly person. He lived alone with his young son in a large farmhouse, so there was more than enough space for all of his guests.

It was early morning when they arrived. Isaacs was on his way to work, and his son would be leaving for school, so SG-1 and the others would have the place to themselves until afternoon.

Isaacs invited them to eat breakfast with him and his son. Since the child was present, they did not discuss anything about the night's activities, but chatted about normal, daily life events.

After Isaacs and his son had left, SG-1, Martouf/Lantash, Jacob/Selmak, and Argent decided to take a bath before looking into the material they had found during the night's mission.

They were really tired, but it was important to go through the files and data they had recovered immediately. A bath would hopefully wake them up, so they would have the energy to do what they needed to.

* * *

Sam towel-dried her hair, then pulled a clean t-shirt on, before running a comb through her short hair. She studied herself in the mirror. She looked about as tired as she felt, but a shower had been very nice. She just wished she could go directly to bed and sleep for ten hours straight! The night's mission had been exhausting, particularly emotionally. She had felt terrified when Martouf and Lantash had been captured, despite knowing very well they had been in dangerous situations before.

All the others had bathed already, and they were probably waiting for her right now. They intended to spend several hours going through the data they had recovered, and come up with a plan. _Then_ they could rest.

By now Ba'al and his accomplices knew without doubt that someone was on to them, and that those someones had gotten their hands on material which might be a danger to their plans.

Their enemies would already be searching for SG-1 and the others, and it was only a matter of time before they were tracked down if they stayed in one place for long.

It would probably also be safest if Argent could convince his friend to go somewhere else for the time being - since someone might track them to his home.

Sam threw a last look at herself in the mirror, and stepped out of the bathroom, yawning mightily. Thus she was not paying attention to her surroundings, and did not notice Martouf until it was too late. She walked straight into him.

"Oops, _sorry_!" she exclaimed.

"I am unharmed, Samantha," Martouf said, embracing her, and giving her a quick kiss. He smiled at her. "You look beautiful."

"I look like Hell, but thanks anyway." She gave him a small smile, and returned the kiss, embracing him tightly.

"Being tired detracts _nothing_ from your beauty," Martouf assured her.

"You're sweet." She leaned the side of her head against his. "I am so relieved you got away safely - and that your injuries healed so quickly." She pressed a kiss against his neck. "Great work, Lantash."

"Thank you, Samantha," Lantash said, taking control. "I assure you, we are both relieved to have escaped." He stroked her hair, before pulling her in for a kiss.

He let his hands slide down over her back, as his lips moved slowly against hers. Sam closed her eyes and leaned into the kiss, deepening it. Lantash made a small sound and pushed his tongue into her mouth, eagerly caressing her back, then sliding his hands lower, grabbing hold of her ass.

Sam felt his shaft harden, and she rubbed herself against him. The kiss grew more passionate, as she pushed him up against the nearby wall.

A few moments later, Lantash broke the kiss and stepped back, breathing heavily.

"Lantash?" Sam looked at him, suddenly nervous she had done something wrong.

Understanding her worry, he shook his head and spoke, his voice hoarse, "You did nothing wrong, Samantha. Martouf... Martouf reminded me we had come here to fetch you. The others are waiting, and... would no doubt have interrupted us very soon. Knowing how you feel about such things, we did not want you to feel uncomfortable."

The door at the other end of the corridor opened just then, and O'Neill appeared. "What's keeping you, kids? We're only waiting for you!"

* * *

Argent had downloaded the photographs of the maps he had taken, and printed them out so they could all study them.

"I've made an extra copy. We can pack that up with all the other stuff we've found, when we've finished studying it. My sister will come pick it up and take it to a hiding place we have," Argent said.

"Sounds good." Sam smiled. "Martouf and I should probably begin by taking a look at the data we downloaded from the labs first. It would be good to know what they are up to. Much of it is in Goa'uld, and that's suspicious in and of itself."

"Who's looking at the stuff we got from the office of the Goa'uld? Daniel? Jacob?" O'Neill asked.

"Both of us, I guess? There was a lot of it that was in a dialect I had a hard time reading." Daniel looked at Jacob, then at Teal'c. "Teal'c? Are you helping us too?"

"I believe I already promised Argent to answer a number of his questions about the Goa'uld - and the Stargates. However, if my assistance is needed, that takes precedence, of course."

"No, that's fine - we can handle it. It's probably a good idea to get any questions out of the way anyway," Daniel said.

"Good, then let's get to it!" O'Neill smiled. "I'll be taking a nap on the couch if you need me!"

* * *

"Okay, so what did you find?" O'Neill asked.

"We have an entire list of _everyone_ involved, who is at a level above foot-soldier," Jacob told him.

"As well as a list of organizations that have been infiltrated by Ba'al... _and_ the places he and his immediate underlings are hiding," Daniel added.

Jacob smiled, pleased. "Which mean we should be able to take down most of the organization - we just need to get Ba'al."

"That's great! What about the data from the labs?" O'Neill wondered.

"Did you find any proof that they're involved in creating werewolves?" Argent asked, interested.

Sam nodded. "Yes - or more correctly, Ba'al is working with Nirrti to 'improve' on her original creation. The goal is not explicitly finding better hosts anymore, but creating powerful warriors, as well as spies who can hear and see at a distance and under conditions that others can't. However, it would seem the Goa'uld Joh'lan has a werewolf _host_."

"So symbiotes can't cure it?" O'Neill asked.

"Yes, they most likely can, but not if the host is already completely transformed." Martouf said.

O'Neill nodded. "Understood. Since it sounds like we got what we need, we should hide the data and go after Ba'al - as quickly as possible."

"I agree," Jacob said.

"All right. I'll call my sister and tell her to come pick up the things that needs hiding." Argent looked at his watch. "I'm guessing she can be here around 8 PM."

"Another thing - I'm not sure if Ba'al and his people will be able to track us here, but it's possible. He can certainly find your sister and your kid. You should tell them to go somewhere safe," O'Neill said.

Argent nodded. "That sounds like a sensible precaution. I assume you think Nick and his son are in danger too?"

"Yes. The Goa'uld will stop at nothing to get to us, so it would be best to have them hide somewhere too."

"Nick won't be happy - especially since I can't tell him any of the details," Argent said.

O'Neill shrugged. "I'm sure he won't, but that can't be helped. At least they'll be alive."

"Right." Argent sighed. "I'll go call my sister."

* * *

Martouf yawned and looked unhappily at the clock on the wall. It was late afternoon, and Isaacs and his son would soon be back.

They had only gotten a couple hours of sleep in the last 34 hours, and they were all exhausted. They could not stay here and get some rest, though, and as soon as Argent's sister had picked up the intelligence they had on Ba'al and his co-conspirators, they would have to leave.

Teal'c and O'Neill were watching television in the neighbouring room, while Jacob, Daniel, and Sam had gone to buy food in a Chinese restaurant a few blocks away.

Argent smiled at Martouf. "So, being a host doesn't protect you from getting tired?"

Martouf shook his head. "No. While we can go without sleep for much longer than a non-blended person, we still get tired. Lantash can keep us functioning for several days without sleep, if it is _absolutely_ necessary. It would not be pleasant, though. We can also take turns sleeping, but it's much to be preferred to sleep at the same time. Much more restful."

Argent nodded. "I guess that makes sense." He was quiet for some time. "How _is_ it to be a host? To have... someone else in your head, _all_ the time. Your thoughts are _never_ your own."

"I suppose it takes a little while getting used to, but not as long as you may think. Host and symbiote become closer than _anyone_ else. Lantash is my best friend - more than that. Closer even than a mate. It quickly became irrelevant that he can hear my thoughts, and read my memories. Yes, it's possible to _not_ listen to everything, of course, and if you have memories you do not want to share, he will not look at them."

"But he's an alien... a being like those... those Goa'uld, you have described. He can _take_ anything he wants from your mind..." Argent looked uncomfortable.

"Yes, biologically he is like the Goa'uld, but that is the only way he resembles them. While he _could_ suppress me, impersonate me, and take my memories against my will, he would _never_ do that. The Tok'ra _truly_ are not like the Goa'uld!"

"You trust him?"

"With my life. Sometimes quite literally." Martouf smiled wryly, thinking of some of the dangerous situations they had been in.

"I believe you - it's just... yesterday I didn't even know aliens _existed_ , and now I've met several of them... and learned that some _other_ aliens are trying to take over my planet!"

"I understand. It is a lot to accept, quickly."

"Samantha Carter's dad is a host too - how does she feel about that?"

"She was the one who suggested it to him, and he is very satisfied with his life among the Tok'ra, so I believe she has only positive thoughts about that."

"Interesting." He smiled. "She did a great job with the scientific data we got from that lab. She seems to be very intelligent."

"She is, yes. _Very_ intelligent." Martouf confirmed. The doorbell rang, and he got up from the couch he had been sitting on. "I believe that may be her and the others, returning with the food. At least I hope so."


	23. A Motel.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: this chapter has a sex scene

"Well, all things considered, he took it better than I might have done," O'Neill said, starting the car.

Argent snorted. "I suppose. He may even forgive me - sometime next century, perhaps."

"I was under the impression Tau'ri did not live that much longer than other humans?" Martouf asked.

"It's just something you say - it means it'll take a very long time before he'll forgive him," Daniel explained.

"I see." Martouf nodded. "I am sorry we have caused problems between you and your friend."

Argent shook his head. "It's all right. This situation is certainly unusual enough that solving it takes precedence over everything else."

"Well, your sister has picked up the evidence... I assume they're going somewhere safe, now?" Jacob asked.

"Yes. Somewhere safe. I hope you don't mind, but I'd prefer not to say anything more about it."

"Nah, that's fine. Makes sense. If we're captured there's no reason there's any more people who are able to give away their location than necessary," O'Neill said. "It's getting late - we should find a place to eat - and stay for the night. Argent - do you know any places around here?"

"I actually don't know this area well, but I think there's some sort of motel a few miles further along this road. There should be a restaurant there too."

"I'll keep an eye out for it," O'Neill said. They drove a little further. "Is it the truck stop up ahead?"

"Yes, there should be a motel there too... I hope."

"You _hope_?" O'Neill snorted.

"I'm fairly sure, okay?" Argent said, defensively.

* * *

There actually _was_ a large motel beside the truck stop, and after eating the very tired group went there, hoping to get some much needed sleep before their journey to Colorado Springs.

There were no large rooms available, and with 7 people it was not surprising the motel had no rooms all could fit in. Instead they got 6 rooms, adjacent to each other. Teal'c, who only needed to do his kel'no'reem for a short time, would share O'Neill's room, and would otherwise keep guard.

They did not expect anyone to be able to find them there, especially not that quickly, but it was probably better to have someone keep watch anyway.

"All right, guys. It's finally time to get some sleep," O'Neill said. "We're probably safe, so we should be able to relax."

"I agree. One thing, though - I noticed the rooms were interconnected two by two - it may be a good idea to keep that door unlocked. _If_ someone should find us, they may not have the manpower to storm all the rooms at the same time, and the door between the rooms could be a way to escape," Jacob suggested.

O'Neill nodded. "Good idea. Not that I think we're going to need it." He yawned. "Well, I'm off to bed. Good night!"

* * *

Sam had just finished her very quick shower, and was heading towards the nice big bed that was beckoning her, when she heard someone knocking at the door that connected her room to the adjacent one.

She knew Martouf had that room, and immediately wished she was wearing something else. Something _nicer_. She did not even have a pyjamas or a nightgown, but was only wearing a large t-shirt and panties. At least the clothing was clean. She sighed, and opened the door.

Martouf stood there, with a somewhat embarrassed expression on his face. The expression was quickly replaced by one of appreciation, as he allowed his gaze to sweep over her. He smiled. "You are beautiful, as always, my Samantha."

"Thanks." She blushed a little under his intense, appreciative look. "Um, did you want something?" She immediately felt like kicking herself for the stupid question.

Martouf seemed to shake himself out of a trance. "Yes. Samantha, I am sorry to disturb you. I realize you wish to go to sleep as quickly as possible, but I was wondering if you would help me with something first?"

"Uh, sure. What?"

"I wished to bathe before sleeping, but I am afraid I cannot get the shower mechanism to work. I know you have shown it to me previously, but no water is coming out, so I must be doing _something_ wrong." He again looked somewhat embarrassed.

"No problem. I'll take a look at it."

"Thank you."

They went into his bathroom, and Sam tried turning on the shower. No water came out. The setup looked to be identical to the one in her room. She fiddled with it for some time, before she had to give up. "I think it's broken. We should probably complain to the hotel staff, but we can do that tomorrow. You can use my bathroom, if you want to."

"I would like that. Thank you, Samantha."

* * *

Sam was sitting on her bed, idly watching a news program when Martouf/Lantash exited the bathroom after showering. She looked up, smiling as she saw him. He was wearing only a towel, hanging loosely around his hips, and he carried his clothes in a bundle.

The news program was forgotten immediately, and Sam ogled him, very much enjoying the sight of him.

"Do you like what you see, Samantha?" Lantash asked, smugly.

Sam blushed. "Um... yes, yes, I do," she admitted, a bit ashamed to have been discovered.

He got a pleased expression, and with a mischievous glint in his eyes he threw the clothes casually on a chair and walked towards where she was sitting. The towel fell off him, and he was naked. It was obvious he was not bothered in the least by that.

Sam blushed deeper, but she did not look away. Instead, she fully enjoyed the sight of him, letting her gaze slide over his body as he walked the rest of the way to her. It was clear what he had been thinking about, as evidenced by his already semi-hard shaft.

He held out his hands to her, and she took them, letting him pull her to a standing position. He gazed deeply into her eyes, and Sam inhaled sharply at the open desire in his intense, blue-grey eyes. She was very attracted to him, and she felt her heart beat faster as Lantash slowly leaned closer, until his mouth was mere inches from hers.

She closed the short gap between them, capturing his lips with hers. Pleased, Lantash smiled against her lips and returned the kiss.

"My sweet, beautiful Samantha..." He entwined his fingers with hers and pressed his body closely against hers.

She felt his rapidly hardening cock push against her as she closed her eyes and kissed him. She let her hands slide up over his arms, to his shoulders, then down his back, embracing him tightly.

Lantash put his arms around her as well, and kissed her hungrily, dipping his tongue into her mouth. She returned the heated kiss, allowing her passion for him to show. When they finally broke the intense kiss to get some air, Sam was feeling dizzy. She looked into Lantash's eyes, which were dark with desire.

They gazed into each others eyes for a few moments, before Lantash kissed her again. He glided one hand slowly over her back, down to her ass, fondling it. With his other hand, he caressed her side, finding one of her breasts and squeezing it gently. Sam made a soft moan into his mouth, and wrapped one leg around him, rubbing herself against him. Lantash groaned and thrust against her, now grabbing hold of her ass with both hands.

Sam glided her hands over the soft, warm naked skin of his back, revelling in the feeling of it under her fingers.

Lantash slid a hand up under her shirt, up to cup one of her naked breasts. He slowly kneaded it, teasing the nipple with his thumb and making it turn into a hard point.

Wanting her naked against him, he pulled her shirt off her in a quick move, immediately lowering his mouth to her breasts. She moaned as he flicked his tongue over the sensitive nipple he had pleasured with his fingers a moment ago.

She let her hands rove over his back, down to his ass, fondling it and enjoying the feeling off hard muscles under soft skin. She groaned, thinking of how it would feel as he plunged his hard cock into her, again and again...

Pulling her errant thoughts back in, she ran her hands up his sides, and over his chest, down his stomach, and to his large and now very hard erection.

Lantash gasped hoarsely when Sam wrapped one of her hands around his shaft, and made a pumping motion. Unable to stop himself, he thrust against her hand a few times, before he managed to get himself under control. He pulled her to him hard and kissed her deeply, before giving control to Martouf.

He wasted no time continuing what his symbiote had started, and kept kissing her as he ran his hands down over her body, from her shoulders, down over the side of her breasts, further down, continuing to her thighs. He slipped a hand between her legs and caressed her through her panties, delighted to find she was so aroused he could feel the wetness through the material. Wanting her completely naked, so he could touch her directly, he pulled her underwear down as he kissed her again.

He spread her folds and dipped one, then a couple fingers inside, thrusting gently with them. He then found her clit and began to stroke it, softly at first, then a little harder. Sam gasped and bucked against him, and Martouf gave her a smug smile. "I am pleased with your reaction, my beloved..." he said, his voice rough with arousal.

He kissed her deeply and continued pleasuring her, making Sam squirm against him and whimper as she grew ever more aroused.

Feeling her legs tremble under her, she took a quick step back, pulling him with her, and they tumbled down on the bed, him on top of her. She immediately wrapped her legs around him and grind herself against his hard length.

Martouf made a hoarse cry and his eyes flashed, as Lantash took over.

He filled his hands with her breasts as he covered her lips with his. Sam ran a hand through his hair, tangling her fingers in it and pulling him even closer as they kissed passionately. She slid her hand lower, and caressed his neck. Suddenly, she felt a movement there, and realized, almost immediately that it was Lantash she could feel under the skin. Letting a memory from Jolinar guide her, she stroked him gently, then more firmly, and he gasped from the added pleasure, closing his eyes to focus completely on the sensations.

Determined to make her as aroused as he was, Lantash slipped a hand between them and down between her legs, finding her most sensitive spot and stroking it. Sam whimpered and pushed against his hand, wanting more contact. Lantash happily complied. He rubbed her harder and faster, making her gasp.

He bent down to suck on one of her nipples, then trailed kisses down over her stomach, and further down. Placing a hot kiss on her clit, he then flicked his tongue over it, making Sam buck and squirm against him.

He very much wanted her to come first, well aware that he would not last long when he started thrusting into her. However, his very hard shaft was starting to ache, and Martouf kept urging him on, wanting him to mate with her, _now_. The moans from Sam was not making it easier either. Desire clouded Lantash's thoughts, and he felt his control slipping.

"I want you... Lantash, Martouf... I want you... _now_..." Sam told him, threading her fingers through his hair, and pulling on it. "Please, _fuck me_!"

With a groan, Lantash let go of the tenuous grasp he had on his control. He spread her folds and pushed into her, thrusting hard. Using her legs, Sam pulled him towards her at the same time as he thrust into her, and he sank deeply. They both gasped from the sensation, and Lantash held very still for a few moments, suddenly very close to coming.

He gave Martouf control, and he kissed her deeply before starting to move, pulling back a little, then thrusting into her, again and again. Sam arched up to meet each of his long, steady thrusts. Again wrapping her legs around him, she pulled him to her in time with his movements, making him enter her deeper, harder.

Martouf let Lantash take over again, and he started moving faster, as he lost himself in the feel of her, forgetting everything else except for the wonderful sensation of her pussy gripping his cock.

Sam suddenly cried out and came hard, bucking and writhing under him. Lantash gasped as her pussy contracted, and started pounding into her. Moments later, he joined her in orgasm, spilling his seed in her.

Breathing heavily, they lay together in a tangle for some time, before recovering from the intense climax. Sam smiled at Lantash, and he gave her a warm kiss. "We love you so much, Samantha." He kissed her again, before rolling off her and lying down close beside her.

"I love you too, Lantash and Martouf." She snuggled up to him, and he wrapped an arm around her, holding her close.

He grabbed the blanket and pulled it over them, and they soon fell asleep.


	24. Next Day - and Travel

"There is very little food," Teal'c observed, looking at the table. "Do you think this truly is the correct place?"

"Yeah, I'm sure of it, big guy." O'Neill slapped Teal'c on the shoulder. "Unfortunately, it looks like the 'complimentary breakfast' here sucks, but I guess we should eat it since they're providing it for free. We don't have that much money left, but I suppose we can take a break and get something better to eat soon. _More_ , too."

"It's not the best I've seen," Sam agreed. "Where are we sitting?" She had grabbed a bagel and some cream cheese, along with a cup of coffee.

"Over there." O'Neill nodded towards the corner where Argent was already seated.

"Okay. Are you coming, Martouf?" Sam asked.

"In a moment, Samantha. I do not wish to drink coffee, and that seems to be the only option. I intend to inquire in the kitchen."

"I'll go with you and talk to them," Daniel said, deciding it was probably safer in case they did not have anything to offer that Martouf knew what was - or he asked for something that was not known on Earth.

Sam nodded and walked over to the table.

She smiled at Argent. "Good morning."

"Good morning, Samantha... or do you prefer Sam?" He gave her a charming smile, very similar to Martouf's.

"Um, most of my friends call me Sam, except the Colonel, who calls me Carter... and Martouf and Lantash, who call me Samantha." She placed her food and drink on the table and sat down.

Argent nodded. "Yes, I have noticed. Would you mind if I call you Samantha? It's a very pretty name - for a very pretty woman." He smiled again.

"Ah... thanks." Sam said, feeling awkward as she realized he was _interested_ in her. "I... well, you can call me Samantha if you like, I guess. I'm just not used to very many doing that - except Martouf and Lantash."

"Samantha, then." Argent took a drink from his cup, and made a face. "This place doesn't have anything worth eating or drinking - we should have gone to the restaurant where we ate dinner."

Sam smiled wryly, taking a bite of her bagel. "I guess we should have. This is very dry."

"We can go there now if you would like to?" he suggested. "I'm paying, if that's an issue."

"Ah, no, it's okay. Listen... I think I should tell you that I'm _with_ someone."

"Yes, she is with _me_ ," Martouf said, realizing the meaning of the Tau'ri euphemism.

Sam and Argent turned to see Martouf/Lantash, maybe 9-10 meters away. He was carrying a glass of some sort of fruit juice, and a bowl of oatmeal. Daniel was close behind him, and O'Neill and Teal'c followed further behind, each carrying whatever food items they had ended up deeming reasonably acceptable.

Sam smiled at Martouf, who placed his food and drink on the table and sat down beside her. He put his arm around her and kissed her. She kissed him back, feeling a little self-conscious.

Argent smiled. "Well, it's good to see you have excellent taste, brother."

"Ah, so _that_ explains why you didn't answer when I knocked on your door this morning," Daniel said.

"Yes, I was probably still in Samantha's room," Martouf agreed.

"Really, guys! You only needed _one_ room - and you didn't tell us? You _know_ we're short on money!" O'Neill exclaimed.

Sam looked at him, a bit bewildered and unsure what to say. "Um, sir... I..."

"My apologies, O'Neill. However, yesterday evening we had not yet mated, and I would never have been so bold as to presume she would agree to share a room with me," Martouf said.

Sam blushed and hid her face in her hands. "Do we _have_ to talk about this now? _Here_?"

O'Neill grinned. "Sorry! Relax, guys. It was just too fun not to pull your leg a little. Oh, and Martouf? Little too much information, there."

"Martouf!" Jacob exclaimed. "When I've finished eating I think we need to have a discussion. In _private_." He placed his cup and plate hard on the table, and sat down.

Jacob had been to the hotel reception to see if he could get sugar for his coffee, since Selmak flat out refused letting him drink it without it. He had returned just in time to hear the last few sentences.

"Dad!" Sam complained. "I'm a grown woman. This is _none_ of your business!"

"Jacob, I assure you, my intentions towards Samantha are completely honourable..." Martouf said, getting an expression that was a strange mix of defensive and bashful. Lantash took over, and the expression became decidedly defensive.

"That's a bit late to say... _after_ you've admitted sleeping with her!" Argent grinned, then leaned over and slapped Martouf/Lantash on the shoulder. "Sorry - I'm just joking..."

"Right... and I _still_ want to talk to you, Martouf, Lantash," Jacob insisted, before focusing on his food.

Lantash sighed, then remembered something. He spoke, hiding the distortion. "Daniel? Why did you want to talk to me earlier? You said you knocked on my door."

"Ah... yes. There was an article in the newspaper, and a picture of Ba'al. Nothing important - just a story about a speech he had made and about how he would save people from the 'wave of crime' when he was elected."

"Nothing new, then?" O'Neill said. "That's been his plan the whole time."

"True... but I wanted to ask Martouf if he recognized any of the other people in the picture. I think one of them may be one of the werewolves that attacked us. Maybe that guy... Joh'nar, is among them?"

"There were no werewolves that were hosts among those that attacked us," Lantash said.

Daniel was digging in his pocket, and pulled out a page he had torn from the newspaper. He handed it to Lantash. "Here."

Lantash looked at it. "I do not know how Joh'nar's current host looks, so I cannot say if he is among those people... I do however recognize one of the men behind Ba'al. It is my brother."

"You _brother_?" O'Neill looked from Lantash to Argent.

" _Another_ brother?" Argent asked, disbelief in his voice.

"No, not _Martouf's_ brother. _My_ brother... from the same clutch as me. This man..." Lantash held up the article and pointed. "He is Ren'tash, and his host is Wirran."

"Let me see." Jacob held out his hand, and Lantash gave the paper to him.

Jacob looked at the picture and nodded. "You're right. If we're lucky, he can help us. We just need to find some way to contact him."

* * *

"How long will it take to get to Colorado Springs?" Daniel asked, when they were all sitting in the minivan, ready to go.

"About seventeen hours, or maybe a bit more - that is, if we take no breaks," Argent said.

"Seventeen _hours_!" Daniel stared at him. "Can't we take a plane instead?"

"Not if we want to stay under Ba'al's radar. I'm pretty sure he's got people in the airports who are told to keep an eye out for us," Jacob said.

"Besides, we're almost _completely_ out of money," O'Neill reminded them.

"You can borrow some from me, but I agree with Jacob - it's safer to drive," Argent said.

* * *

After taking short breaks every four hours or so, to eat and use the restroom, they were finally approaching Colorado Springs. It was close to midnight, and they were looking for a place to stay for the night. They were all exhausted, and needed some rest before taking on the mission of finding and getting into Ba'al's compound.

"Well, parts of the city look like itself, even if there's been a lot of changes to the stores. Weren't there supposed to be a small grocery store over there?" O'Neill said.

"Yeah, there was." Jacob agreed, remembering it from the short time he had lived in Colorado Springs, before becoming Tok'ra.

"I'm assuming we can't contact anyone here?" Daniel asked, rhetorically.

"No, that's probably a bad idea. Besides, there's very few people left here that we know more than superficially. They probably wouldn't want seven guests in the middle of the night," Sam said.

"That's true," Jacob agreed.

"What about the motel that's on your left, when you're going south on North Cascade?" Daniel asked.

"The one downtown? No, I stayed there for several weeks when Sara and I separated," O'Neill said flatly. "The place is a dump, and I can do without the reminder."

"Okay, what about the one east of Peterson?" Jacob suggested.

"Up Fountain Boulevard?" O'Neill shrugged. "Sure, why not. Though we should find somewhere to eat first - I don't think there's anything nearby."

* * *

"Good night, guys! Remember, there's free breakfast from seven o'clock, and I expect everyone there on time!" O'Neill said.

"Yeah, yeah. 'Night, Jack." Daniel yawned, and disappeared into his room.

The others said good night as well, and left to go to their respective rooms.

Jacob sent Martouf/Lantash a warning look, not completely happy that the younger Tok'ra would be sharing a room with his daughter. He did not say anything, though, as Selmak had already told him he was a fool, and that Martouf/Lantash would never harm Sam.


	25. A Pleasant Night, Followed By An Unpleasant Morning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: there is a sex scene in this chapter

Sam locked the door and turned to speak to Martouf/Lantash. She did not have time to say anything, though, before Martouf had caught her in a warm embrace.

"It is extremely agreeable for us to be alone with you again, Samantha." He kissed her warmly. "We very much hope you are not too tired to allow us to pleasure you?"

Sam gave him a kiss and grinned. "I think I can handle that!" She gave him another kiss. "I just want to take a quick bath first, okay?"

"We would like to do so as well. Perhaps we could bathe together?"

"That sounds nice... but I think it would be quicker if we bathed separately. I _do_ want to get to bed very soon."

"I understand. Perhaps another time?" He gave her a smouldering look.

"You can count on it!"

Sam went and found the t-shirt she used as sleepwear, and hurried into the bathroom.

* * *

Lantash walked out from the bathroom, not having bothered to put anything on. He appeared completely unashamed of his nudity.

Sam smiled when she saw him, allowing her gaze to slide over him, ogling him freely. " _Very_ nice."

He had clearly been thinking about what they were about to do - as evidenced by his large and very hard erection.

"I am pleased you approve." He grinned. "Why have you put on that shirt? It is _not_ needed..."

Sam rolled her eyes. "It's cold in here..." She smiled invitingly. "Why don't you come and warm me?"

"Oh, I will be more than happy to!" Lantash crossed the remaining distance to the bed in moments, and joined Sam on the bed. He pulled her to him and grabbed her shirt, pulling it off her before snuggling up close to her. "Warmer now?"

"Actually... yes!" Sam giggled and kissed him.

"Mmm, _good_. I want you to relax and enjoy yourself, which is difficult if you are feeling cold..." He kissed her warmly, then slowly trailed kisses and licks down to her breasts.

He closed his lips around one of her nipples, laving it with his tongue until it became a hard point. Switching to the other, he repeated the treatment, before moving down over her stomach.

Sam closed her eyes as he continued down between her legs, placing a kiss on first one inner thigh, then the other. He used his fingers to spread her labia, dipping one finger inside her, making her gasp.

"Lantash!"

He chuckled and slipped a finger inside her again, then another. "You are very wet, my Samantha. You have been thinking about this... looking forward to it. You very obviously want me to continue, right?"

"Yes! You... you naughty _rascal_!"

"Perhaps..." Lantash agreed, before placing his mouth over her clit, flicking his tongue over it. He sucked the sensitive spot, then gave it several soft licks, before saying more, "But I suspect you like me this way."

"You smug b..." Sam moaned deeply and completely forgot what she had been about to say, as he increased the speed and force of his licking, giving her _almost_ enough stimulation to come. "Lantash! Oh!" she gasped. "Please..."

He gave her clit several strong licks, then sucked it hard before pressing his tongue against it. Sam made a shriek and bucked against him as she came.

"Was this what you wanted?" he gave her a smug look when she started to come down from her climax.

"That was... _wonderful_!" Sam said, still panting a little from the intensity.

"Or do you perhaps need a little more?" He laid down beside her, and began to stimulate her again, using his fingers this time.

Martouf asked for control, and Lantash gave it to him. He continued fondling Sam, almost without a break.

She kissed him, then gave him a naughty smile. "Or... we could say it's my turn?" She swallowed hard, as he pleasured her more determinedly.

"I _would_ like to come... soon." He thrust suggestively against her. "However, I was hoping to make you come one more time first. We _did_ promise to pleasure you." He placed his mouth over one of her breasts, sucking at the nipple.

Sam closed her eyes and enjoyed his skilled tongue and fingers. "Then... then why don't you... pleasure us _both_... at the same time." She pulled him up to kiss him, hard, then pushed her tongue into his mouth. She slid her hand to his neck, and repeated the caresses she had found had a very arousing effect on Lantash.

Martouf made a hoarse sound, proving that this pleasure was shared between host and symbiote too. He gave her a passionate kiss before he gave in to his desire, using his fingers to spread her folds and thrust into her.

Sam gave a squeal and a moan of pleasure at being filled so completely. She ran her hands over his chest and shoulders, caressing him everywhere she could reach, and enjoying the feeling of his smooth skin under her fingers.

He moved slowly at first, pulling almost completely out before pushing in again, over and over, not giving in to his need to take her hard.

Changing the rhythm and the angle, he began making short, shallow thrusts. Sam's moans and Lantash's urgent demands quickly made him increase the speed, and he thrust deeper and harder.

He kissed Sam again, a long, drugging kiss, before licking and kissing down the side of her neck. Finding a sensitive point there, he sucked at it, making Sam buck against him. He rammed into her hard a few times in response.

As he continued thrusting, he felt his mind cloud with lust, and everything around him except Sam disappeared. All he could think of was the woman he loved, moving under him, making small pleasurable sounds - and the way her warm, wet, and so very tight pussy felt as it gripped his cock every time he entered her.

He started thrusting harder and faster into her, again changing the angle a little. Sam gasped, now very close to orgasm. It took only a few more strokes before she came, her climax so powerful she cried out.

Martouf made a half-strangled cry as her pussy squeezed him, the added sensation pushing him over. He thrust into her one more time, then shuddered against her as he came hard in her. " _Samantha_!"

They kissed each other deeply, then Martouf rolled over on the side, pulling Sam with him. She sleepily pulled a blanket over them before snuggling up to him again.

"Good night," she mumbled, almost asleep already.

He kissed her neck, murmuring in a low voice. "We love you, Samantha. Sleep well."

* * *

"Anyone want more breakfast? I think they're about to close it up for today," O'Neill said, noticing that several staff members had begun to clear away dirty dishes and clean the tables.

"Nah, I'm good." Jacob stretched, and leaned back against the wall behind him. "We'd better get going soon. We've got a lot to do today."

"I think you're right about breakfast serving closing - we're the only ones left now, except for the employees," Daniel observed. "Odd. I thought it was going to be open until 9AM."

As if on queue, the three men who had been cleaning the tables suddenly pulled out weapons.

"Very observant of you. Now kindly remain seated, and no one will get hurt!" a large man with short blond hair said, with a sneer. He pointed the gun at O'Neill.

The two other 'waiters' had their guns trained on the others. The way they were sitting - around a table in the corner - there was no way they could easily get up and attack, without risking several of them getting shot.

"What's the problem?" O'Neill asked. "We're just peaceful people having breakfast here at your fine place."

The large man snorted, but did not deign to answer. Before SG-1 and the others had time to come up with a course of action, several other armed men appeared from the door into the kitchen. They did not have guns, but zat'nik'tels.

"An ambush? _Really_?" Argent said.

A huge man with a woollen hat pointed his zat'nik'tel at Argent. "Shut up - all of you. You are coming with us. At Lord Ba'al's order."

"'Lord' Ba'al?" Argent asked, giving him an incredulous look.

"He is a Jaffa," Martouf said.

"I said, _shut up_!" The Jaffa angrily fired at Martouf, stunning him. "All of you. Get up - and bring the unconscious one!"


	26. Meeting Ba'al

Ba'al's first prime bowed deeply before his lord. "My Lord Ba'al, I have the pleasure of reporting the successful capture of the group that broke into Factory Three."

"Good. Is the Jaffa among them?"

"There is a Jaffa with them, yes."

Ba'al grinned. "According to my reports, the Jaffa has a golden Apophis symbol. He may be the _shol'vah_. If so, he is a great prize!"

"They are all, except for one, wearing the green uniforms that signify that they belong to this country's warriors. They also carry the symbol on their clothing which means they work for 'Stargate Command'."

Ba'al's expression turned angry. "I was _promised_ there would be _no_ interference from Stargate Command! _Insolence_!"

"Shall I have them brought before you, my Lord?"

Ba'al considered it. The temptation was almost too much, but he was quite hungry, and the prisoners probably would only get more pliable if they were left in his holding cell for a while.

"I shall eat first," he decided. "Have the food brought. _Immediately_!"

* * *

"Did he _have_ to make the cell look _exactly_ like a Goa'uld holding cell? I mean, we're on _Earth_ , for Christ's sake! Couldn't he go for something a _bit_ more standard?" O'Neill glared unhappily at the golden walls, where the bottom part angled towards the floor. The lighted panels were hidden behind metal grids, and there were all the other large and smaller peculiarities they had gotten used to seeing in Goa'uld motherships, as well as in many of their palaces.

"Maybe he got homesick?" Daniel suggested, only half-serious.

O'Neill rolled his eyes at him. " _Funny_!"

"It may be to our advantage. These doors have electronic locks, which means they may be easier to open than a traditional metal lock," Martouf said, examining the door. "Unfortunately, Ba'al is cunning and intelligent, as well as ruthless. He will not make any of the usual errors."

Argent shook his head. "This place looks like the decorator was on drugs! I mean, _golden_ walls in a holding cell?"

"Wait until you see the gaudy clothes the megalomaniacs dress themselves in!" Daniel said.

"Yeah, in a little while some overdressed, over the top bad guy is going to _float_ in, gloating about whatever evil fate awaits us." O'Neill sighed, and sat down on one of the benches.

"Actually, Ba'al usually dresses more... subdued, than most Goa'uld." Jacob said. "Unless he's changed, now when he's the new Supreme System Lord."

"Well, I guess we get to see for ourselves. Looks like they're coming to get us." Sam nodded towards the door.

"Crap," O'Neill said.

* * *

"Kneel before your god!" Ba'al's First Prime shouted, hitting the nearest of them - which happened to be Jacob - over the shoulder.

"I am your Lord Ba'al. You are clearly from Stargate Command - and you have a Jaffa among you." He threw a smug look at Teal'c, who no longer wore his knitted hat. "Apophis's former First Prime, _Teal'c_!"

Ba'al sat on a ridiculously elaborate throne, decorated with gold and precious stones. Slightly behind him and to the left stood one of his underlings, Eshmoun - in reality a Tok'ra named Wirran/Ren'tash.

Fortunately, Ba'al was not paying any attention to his underling, because Ren'tash briefly got an expression of shock when he recognized Martouf/Lantash and Jacob/Selmak - who had been missing and declared dead more than eleven years ago. He quickly controlled his reaction, though, his expression once more returning to arrogant indifference.

"So, you know who he is. Good for you! Do you want me to congratulate you? I am Colonel Jack O'Neill, by the way."

"Impudence! Tell me, why is Stargate Command interfering with my business? We had an _explicit_ agreement! If you are stupid enough to think you can steal from me, or betray me, you are sadly mistaken! I can crush you in an instant!"

"See what I said? Ridiculous gloating," O'Neill told Argent.

"Silence!" Ba'al bellowed. He motioned at one of his Jaffa, who moved to stand immediately behind O'Neill. "Teach him the error of his ways!"

"Yes, my Lord." The Jaffa turned on the painstick he was holding, and jabbed it against O'Neill's neck, making him scream.

Ba'al smiled evilly, then suddenly looked at Martouf. With the Jaffa no longer standing near Martouf, Ba'al instantly became aware of the energy signature from Lantash.

"I see. You did not only bring Jaffa. A _Tok'ra_ , I presume. I thought I had cleansed Stargate Command of the influence of the vermin! Apparently not! Never mind - you shall tell me _everything_ about any Tok'ra involvement with the Tau'ri at the SGC!"

"I shall do no such thing!" Martouf spat.

"Ah, yes. How typical of the Tok'ra. Hiding behind his host. Well, I shall see if I cannot convince the rebel himself of honouring me with his presence!" He looked towards Jacob/Selmak, realizing he sensed another energy signature. "Another Tok'ra? And both of you dressed in clothes of Stargate Command. How very interesting." Ba'al flashed his eyes angrily. "I have been betrayed!" He turned to look at Wirran/Ren'tash. "Contact our sources within Stargate Command! _Immediately_!"

"Yes, my Lord." Ren'tash bowed, then left quickly.

"Now, where was I... yes, you were going to tell me about the Tok'ra cooperation with Stargate Command, and _who_ exactly decided to double cross me!" He flashed his eyes.

Martouf's eyes flashed as Lantash took over. "We'll _never_ do that!" he exclaimed, hotly.

"Lantash! Let me handle this!" O'Neill ordered. He glared at Ba'al. "You're crazy if you think we're going to tell you _anything_!"

Ba'al allowed his hand device to activate, and raised it. An energy ribbon sprung out from it, making contact with O'Neill's head. He gasped as Ba'al held him in the energy for what felt like ages to him, but was in reality less than a minute.

The others had attempted to go to O'Neill's assistance, but the Jaffa surrounding them quickly stopped them, using their painsticks to keep control.

"Now..." Ba'al said, a smug grin on his face. "Let us start over. You will tell me about the Tok'ra cooperation with Stargate Command, and _who_ at Stargate Command made the decision to betray me!" He activated his hand device, and the energy ribbon again focused on O'Neill's head.

* * *

"My Lord Ba'al," Ren'tash bowed. "I regret having to interrupt the interrogation, but I have important news from Stargate Command."

Ba'al let the ribbon device shut off, and sighed, looking with regret at Lantash who was still able to sit up straight, and now gave him a defiant expression. "I had only just _started_ my interrogation of this Tok'ra. What _is_ it that is so important?"

"General Jenkins - who as you know has been placed there by yourself, and is completely loyal - was deeply shocked to hear we had captured some of their people. That two are Tok'ra, and one is Jaffa was something he did not even accept at first."

"Such insolence! Not only did he not believe the word of one of his gods, but he had the _audacity_ of denying his involvement! He is either incompetent or a liar! In either case he should be replaced. _Immediately_!" Ba'al sounded furious.

"I agree - especially since he insisted on _demanding_ the people be turned over to him, at once!"

"Demanded? He cannot _demand_ anything! I see that I have been far too lenient with the blasphemous fool!" Ba'al rose. "He has destroyed my mood. Have the prisoners returned to their cell. I will interrogate them later. Right now I need to go and rectify this _mistake_!"

"Of course, my Lord. Shall I have the traitor Jenkins sent for?"

"No, I will go there myself. It has been too long since I checked on them anyway. No doubt they are involved in more seditious acts!"

* * *

"Thank God he decided to go check on them at... Stargate Command!" Argent said, sitting down on one of the benches in the holding cell. "How are you, Martouf? O'Neill? That energy ribbon... device looked extremely painful. Even more painful than that damn painstick they kept jabbing all of us with."

"It is... unpleasant and painful. Very much so. Still, we were fortunate Ba'al only used painsticks and kara'kesh for the interrogation. He is... _infamous_ for his innovative torturing devices and the... creative use he makes of them." Martouf grimassed.

"What a nice fellow!" O'Neill snorted from the corner where he had been sitting, being very quiet. It was obviously he was not feeling well.

"It would be good if we can escape before he returns," Martouf said, giving O'Neill a worried look. He then turned back to Argent. "In any case, Lantash and I are well. O'Neill was exposed to it for far longer than we were - and he has no symbiote to help him recover."

"I told you I'll be okay - if you'll just leave me _alone_!" O'Neill mumbled. "My head hurts worse than any hangover I've _ever_ had!"

Sam and Daniel looked at him with concern, having both experienced the same, or similar Goa'uld weapons of torture.

"Someone with a symbiote is approaching," Martouf told them, going to look out through the small, partially transparent section of the door.

"Jaffa?" Sam asked.

Martouf stepped aside as the door opened, and they all saw that the one standing outside was the Tok'ra Ren'tash. There was no one else with him.

"Ah." O'Neill looked up, smiling despite his headache. "You're here for the rescue? Because, you know, we _could_ have gotten out on our own."

"I very much doubt that, human. You are, however, correct. My intention is to free you. I cannot merely let you out, though, as Jaffa are guarding the door at the end of the corridor."

"What, then?" Daniel asked.

"I shall engineer a power failure. The locks on the doors to the holding cells are vulnerable when they have no power, and a hard strike in the right spot will cause them to release. It should be hit exactly _here_." Ren'tash pointed at the lock.

Martouf nodded. "Understood."

"I expect to be able to cause the power failure in one hour. Be _ready_ \- the power will only be off for less than a minute, before the emergency backup starts. By then the lock must have been opened. I will make sure the Jaffa guards will be otherwise occupied for maybe ten minutes following the power failure."

"What about the rest of the guards? How do we get out of the building?" Sam wondered.

"That will be harder, though hopefully not impossible. There is a secret compartment in my quarters, where you should go to hide until I can get you out. The access is located behind the table by my bed. My quarters are in the north-eastern part of this compound, on the floor above this. Be careful - while Ba'al should be away for the rest of the day, Joh'nar just arrived, and his chambers are in the same corridor as mine."

"Sounds good." O'Neill smiled, looking a little better at the prospect of getting out of the cell.

"Do you have access to a healing device?" Martouf asked.

"Yes. It is in my rooms, in the drawers in the table by my bed." Ren'tash looked worriedly towards the door at the end of the corridor. "I will take my leave of you now, before the guards become suspicious."


	27. Escape - and a Confrontation

The power went out. Lantash, who had been sitting beside the door waiting for it to happen, felt for the right spot on the lock. Finding it, he hit it, hard. The lock made a whirring sound, then released. The door slowly swung open.

"The door is open. _Hurry_!" Lantash said.

Following the walls in the darkness, all of them quickly found the door and got through it. The emergency light was already back on when they hurried through the short corridor towards the exit from the cell block area, but the door out was fortunately not locked.

Usually there would be guards just outside the door, but Ren'tash seemed to have made good on his promise, and there were no guards.

They made their way through the corridors, up the stairs, managing to keep out of the way of guards and servants hurrying along to their duties. Fortunately, Ba'al had truly decorated the interior of the place _exactly_ as Goa'uld usually did, even if this was on Earth. That meant there were statues and curtains and plenty of nooks and crannies everywhere to hide in.

"So... Ren'tash's quarters should be somewhere in this area. Perhaps down that corridor?" Sam suggested, pointing. "It looks more... opulent, somehow, than the other ones we've been through."

Martouf nodded. "I agree. The Goa'uld would live in the most extravagantly decorated parts of a palace. Of course, the lord himself - Ba'al here - will most likely have an entire wing of the palace just to his chambers, and it will be even more richly decorated than this."

They walked down the corridor. There were only two doors - one would lead to Ren'tash's rooms, the other to Joh'nar.

"Well, no way to know which one, I guess. We'll just hope that _yahoo_ fellow isn't in his quarters," O'Neill said.

"His name is Joh'nar - and I do not sense any energy signatures," Martouf told him.

"Good. Then let's look in here first." O'Neill opened the nearest door.

"Wait! _Now_ I sense a symbiote - behind us!" Martouf exclaimed, giving control to Lantash.

They all turned to see Joh'nar and two other men, probably his guards, appearing around the corner at the end of the corridor.

"Crap!" O'Neill dove into the room he had just opened the door to. "Get out of the way!"

They all hurried inside, as they heard Joh'nar shout orders to his men.

"Help me push something in front of the door!" Jacob told them.

Together they got a large desk moved so it blocked the entrance. It was none too soon, because someone slammed hard against it moments later.

"That's _not_ going to hold!" Argent exclaimed, looking around for something to use as a weapon.

The others had gotten the same idea, and they began searching the room.

"Here!" Lantash said. "I've found a kara'kesh!" He began putting the ribbon device on, but before he could do so, the door into the room was destroyed by someone who was very strong.

"Joh'nar is a werewolf, _aside_ from being a Goa'uld!" Sam remembered.

"Very correct, human _slave_!" Joh'nar said, his eyes flashing red in a strange mixture of Goa'uld and werewolf physiology. He effortlessly pushed the desk out of the way and stepped inside. "Do you surrender - or do I get the pleasure of killing you all?" He bared his large fangs in an evil grin.

Joh'nar signalled his two guards to step inside as well, and when they did, SG-1 and the others saw that they were both werewolves too.

Daniel transformed before them, preparing himself to fight to save his friends. Lantash finished putting on the hand device and raised it, getting ready to send a shockwave at Joh'nar. Before he could do so, Joh'nar raised his own hand device, and fired on Lantash, who only just had time to counter it.

While Joh'nar and Lantash traded shockwaves from their kara'kesh, Joh'nar's two werewolves jumped the others. Daniel fought them as best he could, and Sam, O'Neill, Teal'c, Jacob/Selmak, and Argent all grabbed whatever they could find to defend themselves with.

The fight was short, and did not end as badly as could be expected. The reason was that the hand device Joh'nar was wearing was of the standard kind, and did not fit him well when his nails were claw-like - as they were when he had transformed to werewolf shape. This meant the contact to the weapon faltered, and he failed to send off a shockwave when Lantash succeeded, resulting in Joh'nar being thrown hard against the wall.

Lantash did not hesitate, but immediately attacked, killing Joh'nar quickly.

The fight against the two remaining enemy werewolves were going badly for the others, even though Daniel and Teal'c both had managed to get some hits in. However, they were no match for a hand device, and it took little time to dispense of them with that.

"Everyone okay?" Jacob asked, when all the enemies lay dead or unconscious on the floor.

"We better get out of here - the noise from this _must_ have called attention to us," Lantash said.

"Yes, it'll only be a matter of time before this place is swamped with Jaffa," O'Neill agreed, swaying dangerously, and grabbing hold of one of the posters of the highly ornate canopy bed.

"I... I think I got bitten..." Argent said, dread in his voice. He pulled at the ripped clothing on his right arm.

Teal'c leaned closer and looked at the wound. "Yes, I believe that is a bite."

"We don't have time for that right now! We need to find a place to hide!"

"Yes - this is Joh'nar's room, not Ren'tash's, so we should move there, quickly," Lantash said.

"How do you know?" Sam asked.

"There is no healing device in the drawer in the night table. I checked."

"Okay - move it!" O'Neill took one step, then stumbled and would have fallen, if not Teal'c had caught him. " _Whoa_!"

"Sir?" Sam asked, concerned.

"Jack?" Daniel wondered, worried for his team mate as well.

"Sometimes the full effect of the kara'kesh is not felt until after some time has passed," Lantash observed. "It should begin to get better now, O'Neill. _Usually_."

O'Neill mumbled something, and Teal'c lifted him up and carried him. "We should make haste, before someone apprehend us."

* * *

Jacob pulled the door to the room shut. "Help me barricade it! There's Jaffa on the way!"

Sam, Argent, Teal'c, and Daniel ran to assist, after Teal'c had placed O'Neill on the bed.

Lantash rummaged around in the drawer of the night table, soon pulling something out. "I found the healing device Ren'tash mentioned!"

"Give it to me. I'll heal Jack while you figure out how to open that secret room," Jacob ordered.

"Of course."

Jacob set to healing O'Neill, while Lantash pushed the table aside and then moved a curtain out of the way. He began searching the wall behind it, looking for some sort of mechanism.

"Won't they realize we'll still be in here? I mean, the door's shut from the inside!" Daniel pointed out.

"Yes - unless we make them believe we foolishly attempted to flee through the window. Please open it, and make some sort of rope... perhaps from the sheets on the bed," Lantash suggested.

"Would that work? I mean, _could_ we escape that way?" Sam asked.

Lantash thought about it for a moment. "No, almost certainly not. I glanced through the window earlier, and this part of the building is located far from the fence. There were guard towers, and an open stretch both this side of the fence, and the other. We would not make it far."

"Sounds like Ba'al's style - he's much more security-minded than most other Goa'uld," Jacob said, as he ran the healing device over O'Neill again.

"How is he doing?" Sam asked, while she pulled sheets out of a closet, in order to make a rope from it.

"Better. He just needs some rest now."

"Found it!" Lantash declared, working the mechanism and making the secret door open.

"Great!" Daniel smiled, relieved.

"Not a moment too soon! The Jaffa are at the door!" Jacob proclaimed, seconds before someone hammered at the entrance.

Sam, Daniel, and Argent finished creating a makeshift rope, and Teal'c opened the window for them. They tied the rope to the heavy bed, before letting it slide down the side of the building.

"Okay, done!" Sam said.

They all ran to the secret room, with Jacob supporting a still groggy O'Neill. Lantash pulled the table as much back into place as was possible, pulled the curtain back in place, and closed the door.

The room was large enough for all of them to fit in there without it being too claustrophobic. There was no furniture, except for one simple bench, a table with a lamp, and a chair.

Jacob helped O'Neill to lie down on the bench, then sat on the chair himself. The rest of them took seats on the floor. Outside, they could faintly hear the bumps, as the Jaffa were breaking into Ren'tash's chambers.

"That... healing device... can it stop me from becoming a werewolf?" Argent asked. Now when there was nothing to do but wait, his thoughts again returned to the bite.

Jacob hesitated, talking it over with Selmak. "I don't think so, and Selmak agrees. While it can cure or lessen some illnesses, it is much better at healing injuries. 'Werewolf-ism' - if you can call it that - is caused by a retrovirus, which literally rewrites your DNA. I think that's a bit outside what the healing device can fix on its own, unfortunately."

"I agree," Martouf said, having gotten control back from Lantash. "I don't think the healing device can do anything about it. I am sorry."

"Can you at least _try_?" Argent sounded desperate. "I don't want to become a werewolf!"

"Are you even sure you'll transform? I mean, does it _always_ happen?" Sam asked.

"Almost always. If it doesn't, it kills. I would already have felt it, if that was the case. As it is... I... I believe my sense of smell and hearing is getting better..." He frowned deeply.

"I will _try_ to use the healing device, but do not expect too much," Jacob said, getting up.

"Thank you."

Jacob went to Argent, and activated the healing device, then ran it over his entire body, scanning him. Then one more time, before he let the device turn off. "No, I'm sorry. I may be able to halt the transformation for a little while, but that is all."

"So... I _am_ changing," Argent said. It was not a question.

"You are, yes."

"What about a sarcophagus? Won't that cure him?" O'Neill wondered. "Like when it stopped me from becoming a Jaffa."

"It might... if used quickly enough. It's the same method that is used for the transformations - and indeed, both werewolves and Jaffa were created by Nirrti, so it is hardly surprising." Martouf looked at Argent. "If it is to have a chance of working, you should probably use a sarcophagus within the next hour, or so."

"At _most_ ," Jacob said. "Unfortunately, we cannot leave this place right now - and we don't know where Ba'al has his sarcophagus."

A loud crash from the room outside told them that the Jaffa had broken through.

" _Quiet_!" Martouf whispered.

They sat in silence for maybe 15 minutes, with their hearts beating rapidly in fear. Outside, the Jaffa searched the room. Daniel - and Martouf/Lantash and Jacob/Selmak - could hear the leader bark orders at his men now and then. The Jaffa assumed they had tried to escape through the window, and some had been sent after them to find them. The rest searched the room too, in case it was a ruse.

Finally, it became quiet outside. After waiting for a little while longer, they again dared to speak.

"There may be another way of curing you, Argent," Jacob said. "It's likely that the Tok'ra will be able to reverse the changes, with a combination of drugs and other treatments."

"Really?" Argent looked hopeful for the first time since he had gotten bitten.

"Yes, that is true. The Tok'ra have very skilled biochemists," Martouf assured him.

"Well, do we remain here, waiting for Ren'tash, or do we see if we can get out of here?" O'Neill said. He smiled. "I'm feeling much better now. Thanks for using that healing device on me, Jacob."

"You're welcome." Jacob sighed. "As much as I hate just sitting here, it's safer to wait for Ren'tash. When the Jaffa don't find us outside, they'll search the entire place."


	28. A Surprising Turn of Events

Almost half an hour had passed. Now and then they had heard distant shouting, but Ren'tash had not showed up.

"What if Ren'tash is dead? Or captured?" Daniel asked. "I mean, they have _got_ to have become suspicious! What if Ren'tash is being tortured?"

"He could end up giving us up. I agree. We shouldn't stay here much longer," O'Neill said.

"Ren'tash would _never_ give us up!" Lantash exclaimed.

"Even so - what if he's dead? We've got a better chance of making it out of here while there's still chaos, and Ba'al's out playing Bocce," O'Neill insisted.

"What?" Lantash frowned, not understanding him. He sighed, then shook his head. "You may be correct. We should attempt to make our escape."

"Could we keep an eye out for that... _sarcophagus_ you mentioned before?" Argent asked.

* * *

"Ren'tash!" Lantash exclaimed, running to his brother and fellow Tok'ra, who was lying on the floor in a pool of blood.

Many Jaffa lay around him, most of them bearing marks of having been thrown by a hand device. They were all dead. It had obviously been an intense battle.

Ren'tash moved a little, the coughed, blood seeping from his mouth. "Lantash. You... you need to get out... before Ba'al comes back. Joh'nar... had suspected me... and Ba'al's First Prime... found out I am a Tok'ra." He coughed violently.

"Shh... be quiet!" Lantash said. "We've got a healing device."

Ren'tash shook his head. "No... I'm too badly wounded. Lantash... the First Prime... he contacted Ba'al... you can get out now. If you _hurry_."

"What about a sarcophagus?" Sam asked. "I mean, I know you don't normally use them, but..."

"No. It is... I destroyed it. So... so they could not use it to bring back Joh'nar... The things he has done to the humans!" Ren'tash suddenly became quiet.

"Ren'tash!" Lantash sounded pained, fearing his brother was dead. He quickly checked on the other man, then got a look of relief when he found he was still alive. Remembering what they had discussed a day or so ago, he suddenly turned to Argent. "If you become his host, it's very likely the transformation has not gone too far for him to reverse."

"What!" Argent stared at him in disbelief.

"Actually, that may be true... but it would have to be very soon for it to work," Jacob said. He looked at Ren'tash. "For other reasons as well, of course."

"You're crazy! You can't expect me to do that! Let an alien lifeform live inside me, share my mind and body!"

Lantash gave Martouf control. "As it is with Lantash and I. I understand your hesitation, but have I not convinced you blending can - and almost always is - wonderful and rewarding? Do you really feel the whole idea is more abhorrent to you than becoming a werewolf? As I understand it, that is something you _hate_."

"But I'd have to leave Earth, my family!"

"Not necessarily. It might be a good idea to have someone here on Earth, representing the Tok'ra. You could work with Stargate Command," Jacob suggested. "Don't you think they'd permit that?" He looked to O'Neill.

"Normally not, but after this whole fiasco with Ba'al infiltrating everything, then I don't think they'd put up much of a fight. Of course, that's only if we succeed in cleaning up this mess!"

"I need a moment to think," Argent said.

"Do so - but do not take too long." Martouf gave Ren'tash a worried look.

Argent was quiet for several moments, then he nodded. "Yes. I will do it."

* * *

"Argent?" Martouf wondered, worriedly. "Are the two of you all right?"

"Yes... but this is _so_ strange..." Argent said, sitting up. "I mean..."

"We don't have time for this!" O'Neill exclaimed. "You were out for several minutes!"

"Ren'tash... was weakened from trying to keep Wirran alive." Argent got up.

"Of course... Are you still a werewolf?" Martouf asked.

"Ren'tash is working on reversing the changes. It had _almost_ been too long, but he assures me he will be successful." Argent smiled.

"That's great - now let's get out of here before Ba'al returns!" Jacob said.

"There are still many loyal Jaffa in this place - Ren'tash will guide me so we follow the safest route," Argent told them. "He blocked off part of the compound earlier, by shutting some electronic safety doors, trapping most of the Jaffa, but he doesn't think it will be long before they figure out how to overload it. The First Prime is pretty smart, unfortunately."

"Well, what are waiting for, then?" O'Neill said.

* * *

They were hurrying through an underground escape tunnel, which Ba'al had ordered built, but which almost no one else knew existed. Ren'tash had found some mention of it one time he was snooping in Ba'al's records, and after some dedicated searching, he had found it.

"The tunnel should exit just inside a small forest, some 600 feet south of the compound," Argent said. He suddenly stopped.

"What is it? Something wrong?" O'Neill asked, warily.

"No... it's just... Ren'tash was looking through some of my memories." Argent grimassed a little, still not completely comfortable with the idea. "He just now realized that we have obtained proof of who is working with Ba'al, and who else cannot be trusted."

"Yes?" Martouf said.

Argent sighed, then steeled himself. "I'll let him explain." He hesitantly bowed his head, as Ren'tash directed him to, and as he had seen the other Tok'ra do.

Ren'tash took control, promising Argent he would be quick. "The lack of proof, and the lack of a list of people involved, is the reason we have not been able to move against Ba'al. I have contact to a small group of people formerly employed by Stargate Command. With the information you have obtained, we will be able to expose and capture those involved. We need to contact them, as fast as possible, so we can detain Ba'al and the people working with him at Stargate Command."

"Not to be a spoilsport, but why would anyone believe you?" O'Neill asked. "You're a Tok'ra, and _they_ probably left in disgrace - I mean, if they're not working for the current leaders at the SGC."

"With the lists of people involved, we can contact those higher up in command in your Air Force. Before we could not even know if the person we approached was involved," Ren'tash explained.

"Of course. And with proof, they can then move on the people involved, and capture Ba'al and whomever else." O'Neill smiled. "That's great!"

Ren'tash gave Argent control again.

He took a deep breath, and flexed his fingers, clearly glad to have control again. "That's going to take a while getting used to!" He smiled, looking a bit embarrassed. "Let's get to a phone. I need to contact my sister, and have her bring us the stuff we found. Ren'tash says we can hide in the homes of some of the former SG team members... we just need to convince them he _is_ Ren'tash."

* * *

"My sister will be here tomorrow morning," Argent told them, having called her.

"Great, then let's go see if Colonel Dixon has been able to get hold of those he can thrust," Jacob said. "I got the impression you know him?" He looked at O'Neill.

"Yeah, Dave is an okay guy. I trust him."

Jacob nodded. "Good. Let's get going, then."

"Where did the others go?" Argent asked.

"They went to pick up some food and stuff," Daniel told him, smiling.

"Of course. I was just thinking that there's probably a lot of people in this city that are loyal to Ba'al or the current leaders at Stargate Command - most of them probably without knowing what those people are planning. In any case, some of them will probably have been given descriptions of us. Right now _anyone_ we meet could be an informer, so we should be careful."

"Relax - we know what we're doing. Besides, Carter and Martouf have got Teal'c with them," O'Neill said. "Let's get to Dixon's place. There should be several people there I know - I look forward to seeing their faces when they realize I've returned from the dead!"

* * *

Sam, Martouf/Lantash, and Teal'c had arrived shortly after O'Neill and the others, bringing the food. After they had eaten, they sat down with Dixon and his group, to discuss and plan what they were going to do.

"All right, then we're agreed. Tomorrow, when we have the lists in hand, we'll contact whatever General that's trustworthy, and show him the proof. We'll then move on Stargate Command and Ba'al's compound, hopefully capturing all the leaders," Dixon said.

"Only problem is that they'll more than likely suspect we're coming - Ba'al will, at any rate," Jacob pointed out. "As for the leaders at Stargate Command? We don't even know if General Jenkins - or whatever his name was - is still there. Ba'al may well have killed him."

"That's a problem for later. We have no way of knowing right now, so we can just as well go to sleep," O'Neill decided, yawning. "It's almost 11PM - why don't we get a good _long_ night's sleep, for once?"


	29. Some Measure of Success

_Next morning._

"How are you doing?" Martouf asked his brother. "Do you have any problems getting along with Ren'tash?"

"No, surprisingly not. I must admit I still have problems handling it when he's in control for more than a short time, but it's getting better. Ren'tash says that's normal."

"It is," Martouf confirmed. "It will get easier quickly."

Argent nodded. "We have blended, and that helped a lot... with the uneasiness, I mean."

"I am glad to hear that." Martouf smiled.

"There is something I believe you would like to know... Ren'tash has been able to recover some of my memories from when I was a little child. From when I arrived here, on Earth." Argent shook his head. "It all still sounds strange to me."

"You are correct, I am very interested in that. What happened?"

"I don't remember much from when we were taken, or from the ship, but I do remember the symbol on the Jaffas foreheads. Ren'tash says they belonged to Nephthys."

"She is the Goa'uld who conquered our planet, Setona, just around the time I turned seventeen. So, she was the one who raided the planet for hosts and slaves, years before. It makes sense, I suppose."

"I guess. Anyway, I think the ship was attacked, at least I remember it shaking and there was an explosion, I think. Later, there were more explosions, and I believe the spaceship crashed. On Earth."

"They should not have been anywhere near this world, but I suppose they could have ended up here when they fled their pursuers. Where did the vessel crash? Stargate Command will wish to recover it."

"In a large lake, I think. At least I have a vague memory of water coming into the ship, and of panicking. I think one of the day care workers got some of us out, and somehow to the shore. The next thing I remember was standing in some sand, being wet and cold. It was dark, so it must have been night, and there was a lot of trees."

"What about the Jaffa? Did they escape?" Martouf got a concerned expression.

"No idea. The day care worker... he told us to move. So we wouldn't freeze, probably. I don't know how long we walked, I just remember crying and missing my mom. It was dark. At some point we met some people, and now I think they were probably werewolf hunters. Probably my dad was among them. I don't remember anything else about what happened, but the hunters must have decided to take us in and raise us."

"Most likely. You cannot remember where this lake and forest were?"

"No. Somewhere in Canada, I think. I know my family was there around that time, hunting a group of particularly aggressive werewolves."

Martouf nodded. "The Tok'ra will help Stargate Command search for the ship. Do not worry about it. You have remembered much, and I am very grateful to finally know what happened to you." He looked up as Sam entered the room. "Samantha." He smiled.

She smiled back, then turned to Argent. "Kate Argent is here."

* * *

Even with the proof in hand, it took time to find, contact, and convince someone with enough power to start the apprehension of the conspirators. There was a lot of people involved on several levels, so they had to be careful as well.

Still, two days later they had the support of a General Wilkinson, and they were finally ready to move on Ba'al and on Stargate Command. The raids would be done simultaneously, so there would be no risk of them warning each other. The various minor leaders would be handled later, now when their identity was known.

SG-1 had been assigned to accompany the group that was going to Stargate Command, while the three Tok'ra would help those going to apprehend Ba'al.

* * *

"Any news on Ba'al?" O'Neill asked, when Sam came to report.

"No, we have searched all floors - he isn't here," Sam said, looking unhappy.

Jacob had called them a few hours ago, informing them that they had successfully taken Ba'al's main compound. There had been many Jaffa, and a number of humans as well, but no Goa'uld. Those they talked to either knew nothing, or would not say where Ba'al was.

Ba'al's First Prime was missing as well, so Jacob guessed they had left when it became clear their conspiracy was exposed and they could do nothing about it. Probably someone had contacted them with the information. That person needed to be found as well, at some point.

"I found someone who has some information," Teal'c told O'Neill, pushing a terrified man through the door before him. "Talk!"

"Y... yes..." The man fell to his knees in front of O'Neill. "Please, sir, I beg you, I..."

"Get up, man! And stop begging! Just tell me what you know about Ba'al!" O'Neill exclaimed, grabbing hold of the man and pulling him to a standing position.

"I... he... he left. I mean, he and some of his Jaffa came here again yesterday, very late. He... was _furious_! Even worse than when he visited a couple days ago. Said we had failed him. Worse than that, _betrayed_ him. He killed the new leader he had appointed for Stargate Command." The man swallowed. "Killed him _slowly_. He made us watch! Then he left through the Stargate."

"Do you know who warned him?" O'Neill asked. "That we were coming for him, I mean."

The man shook his head. "No."

"Okay." O'Neill said. "Throw him in a holding cell until we can determine how much he's been involved in. I'm going to go call General Wilkinson and report."

* * *

Sam gave Martouf/Lantash another hug, and kissed them warmly. "Do you really have to go already?"

Martouf nodded. "Yes, we have to contact the Tok'ra, and inform them about Ba'al's escape and what has happened here recently. Ren'tash needs to report in as well, both with the newest intelligence from his mission, and because he has a new host."

"We have a lot to clear up here also. Those involved in the conspiracy are being arrested, but it will take time to capture and interrogate them all. Not only that, but most of the command structure of Stargate Command needs to be rebuilt. It will take a _lot_ of time before we're back up to normal levels."

"I understand."

"When will you be back?"

"We will not be gone for long. Probably no more than a week. My brother hasn't yet had time to tell his sister and his daughter that he has become a host, but at least he won't be telling them he is leaving to go permanently to another planet. He's very relieved the new leaders of Stargate Command has accepted that he remains here, working for them, for at least the next several years."

"What about Ren'tash? How does he feel about it?"

"I think he finds it interesting. _Relaxing_. He's been undercover for a long time. Besides, there is work for them here, tracking the werewolves - something my brother is very skilled at."

"I really hope the Tok'ra will be able to cure them - that is, if they even _want_ to be cured."

"I am certain our biochemists can handle the task." He pulled her in for another kiss. "Lantash and I will miss you."

"I'll miss you too. This week should pass quickly, though. There's a lot to do for all of us." She smiled. "I think I'll take some vacation when you get back - I had a lot accumulated before, and I think they said they would just transfer it. Together with everything else, like our ranks."

Martouf nodded, smiling at her. "Sensible. I will make sure the Council knows I will be staying here for some time. Jacob wishes to take time on the Tau'ri as well."

"Yes, he's going to go and talk to Mark. I should do that too, I just don't know what to say... how do you explain that we're suddenly back, alive - and haven't aged in the 11 ½ years that's passed!"

"Explaining that _does_ present some difficulties. However, I am certain you will be successful."

They turned to see Jacob/Selmak and Daniel walk into the gateroom, followed by Argent/Ren'tash. The Stargate started to spin.

"Hi, guys!" Sam looked at Daniel. "You're going with the Tok'ra immediately?"

"Yeah, the sooner they can turn me back to myself again, the better." He gave her a half-smile.

"It may take the Tok'ra some time to find a cure, but I have confidence it will happen," Martouf said to him.

Sam gave her dad a hug. "See you soon, dad - and Selmak."

O'Neill and Teal'c came into the gateroom as well, to say goodbye to the three Tok'ra and Daniel.

"We'll have a team night when you're back, Daniel. I'm expecting you to be there as well, Jacob, and you, Martouf." He smiled at them, then looked at Argent. "Oh, and you're invited too of course, if you want."

"Thanks - I may take you up on that," Argent said.

O'Neill frowned. "You look... younger, don't you?"

"A combination of the werewolf virus - which I'm cured of now, thankfully - and Ren'tash's work," Argent told him, smiling. He threw the Stargate a thoughtful glance and shook his head. "To think that I'll be going to another planet - by stepping through _that_..."

O'Neill grinned. "It's a piece of cake. We've all done it countless of times. I'm sure the fellow in your head has assured you it's safe."

"He has."

The Stargate made its kawoosh, and it was time to leave. Lantash had taken over control, and he gave Sam another hug and a kiss.

She blushed a little, still not completely comfortable doing that in front of her teammates - and her father. She still kissed him back, though.

"See you soon, Samantha. Never forget, Martouf and I love you."

"I love you too. Both of you."

"Bye, guys!" O'Neill called after them.

Martouf/Lantash, Jacob/Selmak, Daniel, and Argent/Ren'tash walked up the ramp and disappeared into the wormhole.

Sam looked longingly after them, already missing Martouf and Lantash - and the others. They would not be gone for long, though. She very much looked forward to the vacation she was already planning to take with Martouf and Lantash - the places they were going to see, and the places they were going to make love.

It was going to be great. Smiling to herself, she turned to O'Neill and Teal'c.

"You guys wanna go grab something to eat? Pie, perhaps?" Sam asked.

"Yeah - that actually sounds great!" O'Neill shook his head. "To think that after all this time, I I'm _missing_ the food from the mess hall..."

"Maybe the quality's improved while we've been gone," Sam offered.

"I find that highly unlikely. However, I am willing to accompany you as well," Teal'c said.

"Then what are we waiting for?" O'Neill asked.

Together they left to go to the mess hall. There was still a _lot_ that needed to be done before Stargate Command was back up and running normally. There was also work to do, strengthening the alliance with the Tok'ra again - though that would be much easier with Martouf/Lantash and Jacob/Selmak back with the Tok'ra - and Ba'al no longer in control at the SGC, of course.

The largest problem ahead of them was that the new Supreme System Lord Ba'al was out there, free, but at least he no longer had Earth and Stargate Command in his grasp.

Yes, there was a lot of work to be done, but it would be all right. They would succeed, _together_.

 

THE END.


End file.
